NOT long ago, Trade Minister­ Mari Pangestu seemed to be avoiding reporters wanting­ her comments about the ASEAN-China Free Trade Agreement (ACFTA). She was, after all, being accused by some businesspeople of being ‘too soft on China’ and ‘does not fight enough for the national interest.’ She was judged to have failed in pushing for a review of the ACFTA, which many saw as a losing proposition for the local industries.

But two weeks a