Chris Dixon

State, capital, and resistance to globalisation in the Vietnamese transitional economy

The debate over the changing role and nature of the national state during the current period of volatile economic globalisation has increasingly centred on the extent to which the nation-state can control the forces of economic globalisation through domestic regulation and internationalising its activities while at the same time experiencing increasing challenges to its authority from the rise of various localised forms of state power. In general these debates have taken place within the context of states that are dominantly market economies and are highly integrated into the international system. In this paper we examine the issues of resistance to globalisation and the decomposition of the central state in the context of Vietnam. It is argued that here, as in the PRC (Peoples Republic of China), the development of elements of the market economy and integration into the global system are taking place under the auspices of a still centrally planned, single-party state, which continues to affirm its commitment to state control over the economy. It is proposed that although this has enabled a considerable measure of control to be exerted over the forces of economic globalisation, the processes of reform and related economic growth and participation in the global economy are undermining the authority of the central state. This is increasingly reducing the effectiveness of the central Vietnamese state as power shifts to more local structures.

Economic and social development in Pacific Asia

Contents Figures Tables Contributors Preface Acknowledgements Abbreviations. 1. Pacific Asia in a Global Context Chris Dixon and David W. Smith 2. The Growth Economies of Pacific Asia in their Changing Global Context Peter Dicken 3. Whats in it for us? Images of Pacific Asian Development Dean Forbes 4. The Impact of Foreign Direct Investment on the Geographical Pattern of Foreign Trade Flows with Special Reference to Taiwan Claes Alvstam 5. The Role of the State in Economic Transformation of East Asia Jeff Henderson 6. ASEAN Economies: Continuing Dynamic Growth in the 1900s John Wong 7. Footprints in Space: Spatial Re-structuring in the Asian NICs 1950-1990 Terry McGee and George Lin 8. China: The Consequences of Liberalisation Denis Dwyer 9. Transition in a Centrally Planned Economy: the Impact and Potential of Economic Reference in Vietnam Richard Vokes and Ingrid Palmer 10. North Korea in Pacific Asia Aiden Foster-Carter 11. Towards the Pacific Century? Chris Dixon and David W. Smith

State versus Capital: The Regulation of the Vietnamese Foreign Sector

The debate over globalisation and the state has been sharpened by the emergence of such transitional economies as China and Vietnam. These states have become the subject of considerable attention, both in terms of the form that production is taking and the manner in which they interact with international capital. In both cases, interaction with international capital and the establishment of elements of the market economy have taken place under the auspices of highly centralised single party states. The resulting approach to the forces of economic globalisation has been both highly interventionist and, at times, extremely heavy-handed. As such, both countries may be seen as being seriously out of step with the advocates of liberalisation and economic globalisation. This paper seeks to further the understanding of the position of such states through an examination of Vietnam at two levels: first, through an overview of the distinctive and changing nature of the interaction and, second, through an examination of the nature and consequences of the differential treatment of labour and capital for foreign companies operating in Vietnam.

The Pacific Asian Region: Myth or Reality?

The rapid economic growth experienced by a number of East and South East Asian economies has attracted a great deal of attention. These economies are widely regarded as forming the dynamic core of a major new sub-division of the global economy. The basis for this view is reviewed and it is concluded that while there is evidence for a Pacific Asian core region, it is difficult to substantiate claims for broader trans-Pacific integration. The internal structure of the Pacific Asian region is examined in terms of the emergence of Regional and Sub-regional divisions of labour. It is argued that these are integral to regional integration and continued economic growth. However, the increasing integration of some of the regions economies is offset by an intensifying of competition amongst others. The prospects for the establishment of a formal regional structure rest on the reconciling of these opposing forces. The pressure for this is likely to come from changes in the global economy which promote the organisation of trade in a series of highly managed trading blocs. The much vaunted dynamism of some of the Pacific Asian economies has tended to obscure the uneven nature of growth and its environmental and human costs. Finally the sustainability and likely patterns of future regional development are assessed in terms of current regional and global economic and political trends.

The causes of Thai economic crisis: the internal perspective

Abstract The 1997 Thai financial crisis marked the end of a decade of remarkable economic growth and structural change. Prior to the economic collapse the Thai economy had been regarded by many as a case of successful economic growth engendered by rapid liberalisation. With the crisis Thailand became depicted as an economy with inadequate financial regulation and macreconomic management. This has to be seen against the form that development took before the early 1980s and the long-term developmental weaknesses of the Thai state. Subsequently, rapid economic growth and structural change interacted with the processes of democratisation and liberalisation to further reduce the ability of the Thai state and its institutions to formulate and implement policy.

South-South Trade in Global Development

This study aims aims to provide a comprehensive evaluation of the major issues involved in a strategy of South-South trade, and demonstrates the actual potential and problems of such trade through a case study of Brazil-Trinidad and Tobago trade in the petrochemicals sector. It argues that in general there is great potential for South-South trade in both goods and services, but its realization will require the implentation of certain policy measures, such as the removal of trade policy barriers and financial constraints. Likely future declines in traditional trading opportunities with the North, plus the special developmental gains to be derived from South-South trade should provide incentives for such policy changes. However, the relative importance which a country may attach to a South-South trade strategy will depend upon its specific conditions and features. In view of the growing interdepence of the world economy, an appropriate mix of policies which includes both South-South and South-North trade is crucially important for the development of the South.

Borneo: Change and Development

This book deals with Borneo as a geographical unit divided by colonialism which obscured cultural differences of the tribes. It provides an introduction to the historical and contemporary geography, as well as questions of development, most specifically conservation and logging.