The appointment of Vietnam's new president signals a doubling down on the country's ideological direction under the Communist Party and the continued escalation of the government's anti-corruption campaign, which will increase economic uncertainty in the short term. Vietnam's National Assembly elected Vo Van Thuong as the country's president on March 2, less than two months after former President Nguyen Xuan Phuc was forced to resign on Jan. 17. At 52 years old, Thuong is the youngest member of the Vietnamese Communist Party's Politburo and is the first one born after the Vietnam War to be elevated to such a high-ranking post. In addition to representing a new generation of leadership, Thuong is regarded as among the primary thought leaders with respect to Communist Party conduct and ideology, underscored by his six years serving as the party's propaganda leader. He is also widely seen as an acolyte and ally of General...