We expect Frontier Asia to remain broadly resilient to the COVID-19 shock. Loose monetary and fiscal policies will extend into ‘21 and support growth. However, tourism will continue to weigh on growth and current accounts. Trade tensions and growing debt are the key risks to their economic outlook.

The ASEAN region is now China’s largest trading partner, top tourism destination, and a key investment partner. However, the depth of these relationships vary among the individual ASEAN member states. We expect economic integration to continue in the region.

Vietnam has further integrated into regional supply chains. It has benefited from US trade diversion away from China, and production reallocation and investment by Chinese firms. The key risk is the US changing its policy stance towards Vietnam.

Frontier market debt rose by over $250 billion in 2018, reaching $3.2 trillion for the 26 countries in our sample. Zambia, Vietnam, and Tunisia saw the largest rise in debt ratios.