...Located in Southeast Asia, the Socialist Republic of Vietnam is bordered to the north by the People’s Republic of China, to the west by Laos and Cambodia, and to the east and south by the South China Sea. The country is a mere 127,000 square miles but has a population of almost 86.2 million. The language is Vietnamese, and the principal religion Buddhism, although there are a number of small minorities, including Confucian, Christian (mainly Catholic), Caodist, Daoist, and Hoa Hao. In recent years, the country’s economy has been up and down, but average annual per capita income still is in the hundreds of dollars as the peasants remain very poor. One of the reasons that Vietnam has lagged behind its fast-developing neighbors in Southeast Asia, such as Thailand and Malaysia, is its isolation from the industrial West, and the United States in particular, because of the Vietnam War. From the mid-1970s, the country had close relations with the U.S.S.R., but the collapse of communism there forced the still-communist Vietnamese government to work on establishing stronger economic ties with other countries. The nation recently has worked out many of its problems with China, and today, the Chinese have become a useful economic ally. And Vietnam is well on its way in establishing a vigorous trading relationship with the United States. Efforts toward this end began over a decade ago, but because of lack of information concerning the many U.S. soldiers still unaccounted...
Words: 1923 - Pages: 8
...The East Asia’ Regional Economic Integration Tutor: Griffith, Edward Student ID: 20647046 Student Name: Hong Xu (Eric) Word Count: 2369 Date of Submission: 18/1/2016 The East Asia’ Regional Economic Integration In the past twenty years, the East Asian economies realized the freedom of foreign trade and direct investment (FDI) because of the influence of GATT/WTO and APEC and as a result, it further promotes the economic growth of East Asia. The mutual economic dependence of each countries has increased a lot and therefore, close economic cooperation among Asian countries is necessary for healthy economic development. Many countries try to deepen their cooperation by establishing agreement and carrying out negotiation or discussion (Kawai 2004). Besides, the East Asian countries want to have their own institutions where they have vital voice in decision making after the financial crisis. As a consequence, the regional economic integration become an inevitable trend. The structure of this essay is organized as follows. The first part of this essay will discuss the driving forces of...
Words: 2796 - Pages: 12
...Islam Islamic culture generally includes all the practices which have developed around the religion of Islam, including Qur'anic ones such as prayer (salat) and non-Qur'anic such as divisions of the world in Islam. It includes as the Baul tradition of Bengal, and facilitated the peaceful conversion of most of Bengal. There are variations in the application of Islamic beliefs in culture. I learn the following Their are many diverse Muslim cultural groups: the Asian Muslims, the Middle Eastern, the African, the European and the American Muslims, each with their own variations on customs and traditions. Muslims believe that the Creator of all mankind is one God (called ‘Allah’ in Arabic), and that the God of all Abrahamic religions is the same God. Muslims believe Islam is the continuation and culmination of Judaism and Christianity The traditional role of an Imam (Arabic word, meaning, ‘stand in front of’) is to lead a group in prayer, guide in the matters of worship, and perform services like marriage or funeral rites etc Cleanliness is considered of utmost importance, especially as prerequisite to prayer, for one’s person and the place of prayer. Animal saliva is considered unclean and must be washed off before prayer can be offered It is considered highly disrespectful to draw a visual representation of any prophet. The historical perspective is to discourage idol worshipping in accordance with the concept of monotheism, which is a central tenet of Islam Pork and its products...
Words: 1186 - Pages: 5
...country development? Malaysia economy has been transformed from a protected low income supplier of raw materials to a middle income emerging multi-sector market economy in the past 20 years. This is driven by the export of manufacturing goods, particularly electronics and semiconductors, which constitute about 90% of exports. In this paper, the primary objective is to investigate what is the relationship between openness, inflation and FDI with economic growth. Export and import often plays pivotal role in determine the gross domestic product (GDP) in a nation. In particular, the research question to be outlined is how does openness, inflation and FDI affect economic growth. Multinational corporations (MNCs) are those organizations that own or controls productions of goods or services in one or more countries other than its home country. MNC plays major role in foreign aids recipient countries, it contribution to a nation’s economy has became gradually vital. Typically, the contribution of MNC to a domestic economy is via fund transfer channel such as foreign direct aids and advance technology into the host country especially in low development countries (LDCs). Higher level technology or technology advancement is crucial for economic growth of a country because it increase the productivity of the host...
Words: 5319 - Pages: 22
...1.0 Question a Explain sovereign risk. Broadly defined, sovereign risk refers to the risk that a host government or sovereign power will default on its payment obligations. For example, a host government or sovereign power may unilaterally repudiate its foreign obligations or many prevent local firms from honouring their foreign obligations. Sovereign risk reflects potential adverse effects resulting from a country’s political conditions. In other words, sovereign risk reflects the possibility that political conditions could prevent the counterparty in a swap agreement from meeting its payment obligations. Various political conditions could prevent the counterparty from meeting its obligation in the swap agreement. For example, the local government might take over the counterparty and then decide not to meet its payment obligations. Alternatively, the government might impose foreign exchange controls that prohibit the counterparty from making its payments. Sovereign risk differs from credit risk because it is dependent on the financial status of the government rather than the counterparty itself. A counterparty could have very low credit risk but conceivably be perceived as having high sovereign risk because of its government. It does not have control over some restrictions that are imposed by its government. Comment on the most common indicator of sovereign risk with current examples. Spain's Government Bond Yield for 10 Year Notes rallied 58 basis points during the last...
Words: 5678 - Pages: 23
...ABSTRACT The ASEAN regional integration visualizes the conversion of economies in Southeast Asia into a unified market and manufacturing base by promoting the unobstructed flow of goods and services. It signifies better chances of more market entries, lesser input costs, lower discharge expenditures, greater inflows of foreign investments, and wider options for quality commodities and services at reasonable prices. This research examines issues as to whether the benefits outweigh the costs of trade liberalization, its impacts on national economic growth, and the Philippines’ preparedness to overcome the impediments posed by the integration. Overall, the outcomes of the interviews show that the Philippines is not yet fully adapted to aligning domestic benchmarks with international standards although it has accomplished vital progress in certain sectors. The study also reveals that member affiliates and the Philippine economy can reap the benefits of the liberalization so long as they prevail upon their commitments to forge ahead with achieving the goals of the ASEAN Economic Community. Elimination of cross-border taxes, compliance with harmonized regulatory policies, and leaders’ steadfastness to attain the goals of the integration are the key factors for the success of the liberalization. Since the research deals more on the qualitative aspects, the authors recommend more statistical data gathering and in-depth quantitative analysis to obtain a more accurate gauge of the overall...
Words: 3981 - Pages: 16
...RETHINKING THE EAST ASIAN MIRACLE JOSEPH E. STIGLITZ AND SHAHID YUSUF Editors RETHINKING THE EAST ASIA MIRACLE JOSEPH E. STIGLITZ AND SHAHID YUSUF Editors A copublication of the World Bank and Oxford University Press i Oxford University Press Oxford • New York • Athens • Auckland • Bangkok • Bogotá • Buenos Aires • Calcutta • Cape Town • Chennai • Dar es Salaam • Delhi • Florence • Hong Kong • Istanbul • Karachi • Kuala Lumpur • Madrid • Melbourne • Mexico City • Mumbai • Nairobi • Paris • São Paulo • Singapore • Taipei • Tokyo • Toronto • Warsaw and associated companies in Berlin • Ibadan © 2001 The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development / The World Bank 1818 H Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20433, USA Published by Oxford University Press, Inc. 198 Madison Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10016 Oxford is a registered trademark of Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior permission of Oxford University Press. Cover design and interior design by Naylor Design, Washington, D.C. Manufactured in the United States of America First printing June 2001 1 2 3 4 04 03 02 01 The findings, interpretations, and conclusions expressed in this study are entirely those of the authors and should not be attributed in any manner to the World Bank, to its affiliated organizations...
Words: 190305 - Pages: 762
...ECIPE OCCasIOnal PaPEr • no. 2/2010 REGIONAL ECONOMIC INTEGRATION IN ASIA: THE TRACK RECORD AND PROSPECTS By Razeen Sally Razeen Sally (razeen.sally@ecipe.org) is Director of ECIPE and on the faculty of the London School of Economics www.ecipe.org info@ecipe.org Rue Belliard 4-6, 1040 Brussels, Belgium Phone +32 (0)2 289 1350 ECIPE OCCASIONAL PAPER ExECuTIvE SuMMARy This is the season for regional-integration initiatives in Asia. There is talk of region-wide FTAs, and there are east-Asian initiatives on financial and monetary cooperation. But grand visions for Asian regional blocs are not achievable. Regional economic integration is most developed in east Asia, but only because of manufacturing supply chains linked to global markets. South Asia is the most malintegrated region in the world. And east and south Asia are much less integrated in finance than they are in trade and FDI – due to highly restrictive national policies governing financial markets. Asia’s existing FTAs are “trade light”. They are largely limited to tariff cuts, but have barely tackled non-tariff regulatory barriers in goods, services and investment, and are bedevilled by complex rules of origin requirements. An APEC FTA initiative has gone nowhere – entirely predictable given such a large, heterogeneous grouping. An east-Asian or a pan-Asian FTA, by discriminating against third countries, would compromise regional production networks linked to global supply chains. Moreover, huge economic...
Words: 12833 - Pages: 52
...of an international network of social and economic systems.[7] One of the earliest known usages of the term as the noun was in 1930 in a publication entitled Towards New Education where it denoted a holistic view of human experience in education.[8] A related term, corporate giants, was coined by Charles Taze Russell in 1897[9] to refer to the largely national trusts and other large enterprises of the time. By the 1960s, both terms began to be used as synonyms by economists and other social scientists. It then reached the mainstream press in the later half of the 1980s. Since its inception, the concept of globalization has inspired competing definitions and interpretations, with antecedents dating back to the great movements of trade and empire across Asia and the Indian Ocean from the 15th century onwards.[10] Due to the complexity of the concept, research projects, articles, and discussions often...
Words: 4697 - Pages: 19
...VIEWS ON ASIA © Copyright 2014 Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada TABLE OF CONTENTS ABOUT THE ASIA PACIFIC FOUNDATION OF CANADA _________________________________________________ 2 ABOUT THE NATIONAL OPINION POLL: CANADIAN VIEWS ON ASIA ________________________________ 2 METHODOLOGY KEY FINDINGS ___________________________________________________________________________________________ 2 ____________________________________________________________________________________________ 3 EXPLAINING CANADIANS’ VIEWS ON ASIA DETAILED FINDINGS ___________________________________________________________ 7 ____________________________________________________________________________________ 17 SECTION 1: PERCEPTIONS OF ASIA __________________________________________________________ 17 SECTION 2: VIEWS OF CANADA-ASIA ECONOMIC RELATIONS ____________________________ 23 SECTION 3: PROVINCIAL PERSPECTIVES ON CANADA-ASIA RELATIONS _______________ 31 SECTION 4: CANADA-ASIA ENERGY RELATIONS ___________________________________________ 35 SECTION 5: PROMOTING HUMAN RIGHTS IN ASIA ________________________________________ 39 SECTION 6: CANADA-ASIA SECURITY ISSUES ______________________________________________ 41 SECTION 7: DEMOGRAPHIC FINDINGS ______________________________________________________ 43 APPENDIX: READING THE TABLES _____________________________________________________________________ 49 NOP 2014 PG. 1 ABOUT THE ASIA PACIFIC...
Words: 16362 - Pages: 66
...Introduction The following investigative document presents an overview of the textile industries in two emerging countries: Guatemala and India. The document analyses, compares and contrast the differences in the institutional structures of both countries and offers specific details and analysis of the textile industries for local and international businesses. Guatemala Republic of Guatemala is located in Central America bordered by Mexico to the North, the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, and Belize to the North East Honduras and El Salvador to the southeast. The country is mountainous with small desert and sand dune patches, having many hills filled with people, except for the south coastal area and the vast northern lowlands of Petén department. Two mountain chains enter Guatemala from west to east, dividing the country into three major regions: the highlands, where the mountains are located; the Pacific coast, south of the mountains; and the Petén region, north of the mountains. All major cities are located in the highlands and Pacific coast regions; by comparison, Petén is sparsely populated. These three regions vary in climate, elevation, and landscape, providing dramatic contrasts between hot and humid tropical lowlands and colder and drier highland peaks. Volcán Tajumulco, at 4,220 meters, is the highest point in the Central American states. Demographics Guatemala is a country of youth; 70% of its population is less than thirty years old. The capital...
Words: 4120 - Pages: 17
...Economic Reforms in India since 1991: Has Gradualism Worked? by Montek S. Ahluwalia* India was a latecomer to economic reforms, embarking on the process in earnest only in 1991, in the wake of an exceptionally severe balance of payments crisis. The need for a policy shift had become evident much earlier, as many countries in east Asia achieved high growth and poverty reduction through policies which emphasized greater export orientation and encouragement of the private sector. India took some steps in this direction in the 1980s, but it was not until 1991 that the government signaled a systemic shift to a more open economy with greater reliance upon market forces, a larger role for the private sector including foreign investment, and a restructuring of the role of government. India’s economic performance in the post-reforms period has many positive features. The average growth rate in the ten year period from 1992-93 to 2001-02 was around 6.0 percent, as shown in Table 1, which puts India among the fastest growing developing countries in the 1990s. This growth record is only slightly better than the annual average of 5.7 percent in the 1980s, but it can be argued that the 1980s growth was unsustainable, fuelled by a buildup of external debt which culminated in the crisis of 1991. In sharp contrast, growth in the 1990s was accompanied by remarkable external stability despite the east Asian crisis. Poverty also declined significantly in the post-reform period, and at a faster...
Words: 10213 - Pages: 41
...MODERN ECONOMY GLOBALIZATION DEFINED Over the past several decades, the economies of the world have become increasingly linked, through expanded international trade in services as well as primary and manufactured goods, through portfolio investments such as international loans and purchases of stock, and through direct foreign investment, especially on the part of large multinational corporations. At the same time, foreign aid has increased much less in real terms and has become dwarfed by the now much larger flows of both private capital, and remittances. These linkages have had a marked effect on the developing world. But developing countries are importing and exporting more from each other, as well as from the developed countries, and in some parts of the developing world, especially East Asia but also notably Latin America, investments have poured in from developed countries such as the United States, the United Kingdom, and Japan. Globalization is one of the most frequently used words in discussions of development, trade, and international political economy. As the form of the word implies, globalization is a process by which the economies of the world become more integrated, leading to a global economy and, increasingly, global economic policymaking, for example, through international agencies such as the World Trade Organization (WTO). Globalization also refers to an emerging “global culture,” in which people consume similar goods and services across countries and use a...
Words: 5326 - Pages: 22
...Economic Reforms in India since 1991: Has Gradualism Worked? by Montek S. Ahluwalia* India was a latecomer to economic reforms, embarking on the process in earnest only in 1991, in the wake of an exceptionally severe balance of payments crisis. The need for a policy shift had become evident much earlier, as many countries in east Asia achieved high growth and poverty reduction through policies which emphasized greater export orientation and encouragement of the private sector. India took some steps in this direction in the 1980s, but it was not until 1991 that the government signaled a systemic shift to a more open economy with greater reliance upon market forces, a larger role for the private sector including foreign investment, and a restructuring of the role of government. India’s economic performance in the post-reforms period has many positive features. The average growth rate in the ten year period from 1992-93 to 2001-02 was around 6.0 percent, as shown in Table 1, which puts India among the fastest growing developing countries in the 1990s. This growth record is only slightly better than the annual average of 5.7 percent in the 1980s, but it can be argued that the 1980s growth was unsustainable, fuelled by a buildup of external debt which culminated in the crisis of 1991. In sharp contrast, growth in the 1990s was accompanied by remarkable external stability despite the east Asian crisis. Poverty also declined significantly in the post-reform period, and at a...
Words: 10808 - Pages: 44
...Journal of Economic Perspectives—Volume 16, Number 3—Summer 2002—Pages 67– 88 Economic Reforms in India Since 1991: Has Gradualism Worked? Montek S. Ahluwalia I ndia was a latecomer to economic reforms, embarking on the process in earnest only in 1991, in the wake of an exceptionally severe balance of payments crisis. The need for a policy shift had become evident much earlier, as many countries in east Asia achieved high growth and poverty reduction through policies that emphasized greater export orientation and encouragement of the private sector. India took some steps in this direction in the 1980s, but it was not until 1991 that the government signaled a systemic shift to a more open economy with greater reliance upon market forces, a larger role for the private sector including foreign investment, and a restructuring of the role of government. India’s economic performance in the postreform period has many positive features. The average growth rate in the ten-year period from 1992–1993 to 2001–2002 was around 6.0 percent, as shown in Table 1, which puts India among the fastest growing developing countries in the 1990s. This growth record is only slightly better than the annual average of 5.7 percent in the 1980s, but it can be argued that the 1980s growth was unsustainable, fuelled by a buildup of external debt that culminated in the crisis of 1991. In sharp contrast, growth in the 1990s was accompanied by remarkable external stability despite the east Asian crisis...
Words: 11186 - Pages: 45