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Taiwan’s Economic Diplomacy in Vietnam from the 1990s to the Early Twenty-First Century

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Abstract

In Vietnam, Taiwanese (In this article, 'Taiwanese' refer to all the citizens in Taiwan, although Taiwanese may not be a perfect usage for all the inhabitants in Taiwan. For example, some 400,000 natives of JinMen County live and work in Taiwan Province who might not identify with Taiwan Province. Also, many Vietnamese women in the ROC marry 'Taiwanese.' Perhaps it will take a few decades, if not longer, for all the inhabitants in Taiwan to identify with "Taiwanese.") businesses have led the Taipei government in the movement to ‘Go South.’ They have served as pioneers, surrogates and middlemen for Taiwan’s economic diplomacy in Vietnam. Vietnam's 'Doi Moi' (Open Door) policy, inaugurated in December 1986, encouraged greater openness to economic investment from abroad. Compared with China, Vietnam enjoys the privilege of better access to the European market. Vietnam has become the only country in Southeast Asia that can parallel China in terms of trade and investment at the turn of the century.

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Notes

  1. How do we define market mechanism? In this article, the interaction of demand and supply determines prices and quantities of goods and services for sale. Mechanism also includes international regimes, institutions and practices. For example, because social responsibility has been increasingly important in international society, even countries like Vietnam and Taiwan cannot ignore it.

  2. Interview with former Taiwan’s Section Chief in Ho Chi Minh City, Liu Di, August 11, 2010.

  3. <http://usinfo.state.gov/regional/ea/vietnam/>, accessed September 15, 2003.

  4. <http://europa.en.int/comm/external_relations/vietnam/into/index.htm>, accessed March 4, 2004.

  5. Interview with P in Taipei on May 31, 2002.

  6. Interview with Q on March 2, 2002.

  7. Interview with O on April 22, 2002.

  8. Interview with the former CEO of Vedan, March 2, 2010.

  9. Interview with GG, Senior Advisor, Ministry of Planning and Investment, Vietnam, in Taichung, on June 8, 2002.

  10. Interview with HH, Foreign Investment Department, Ministry of Planning and Investment, Vietnam. In Taichung, Taiwan, on June 8, 2002.

  11. However, CETRA was interested only in trade and not in investment at that time. Taiwan ‘officially’ curbed large-scale investment in Vietnam in the 1980s. Interview with M, March 20, 2010.

  12. The Vietnamese government is able to determine the origin of investments in Vietnam. Interview with O, Board of Foreign Trade, Ministry of Economic Affairs, Taiwan in June 2002.

  13. Memo of Chu Cong Phung, Head, Vietnam Economic and Cultural Office in Taipei.

  14. <http://www.gcbn.net/Economic/new/Vietnam09.htm>, accessed January 21, 2003.

  15. Ibid.

  16. Telephone Interview with E, Assistant of the Council of Taiwanese Chambers of Commerce in Vietnam, on January 28, 2003.

  17. Interview with II, United Daily News (Vietnam Office) on 3 April 2002.

  18. Interview with J, in Lugang in March 2002.

  19. Telephone interview with D on 29 March 2003.

  20. Interview with Tony Ho in May 2009.

  21. Interview with Tony Ho on April 7, 2010 in Taichung.

  22. Interview with X on March 20, 2010.

  23. Interview with X on March 20, 2010.

  24. Honda joined the competition afterwards. Interview with X, March 20, 2010.

  25. <http://www.gcbn.net/Economic/new/vietnam09.htm>, accessed on January 21, 2003. Also interview with X on March 20, 2010.

  26. Interview with X on March 20, 2010.

  27. Interview with Z, Vedan (Vietnam) Enterprise Corporation Limited, on February 3, 2010.

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Liaw, B.C.K., Sasuga, K. & Huang, YH. Taiwan’s Economic Diplomacy in Vietnam from the 1990s to the Early Twenty-First Century. East Asia 29, 355–376 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12140-012-9183-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12140-012-9183-2

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