This research provides a comparison and analysis of the economic growth in China and Vietnam with a focus on the environmental aspect so that Vietnam can learn from China's experiences. The...Show moreThis research provides a comparison and analysis of the economic growth in China and Vietnam with a focus on the environmental aspect so that Vietnam can learn from China's experiences. The research found four key aspects important for environmental-friendly economic growth. The first aspect is environmental policies, which need the right implementation and enforcement to work properly. The second aspect is the energy mix, that needs to be diverse with enough forms of renewable energy. With the share of renewable energy growing in the mix, both the energy demand and the environment will benefit. The third aspect FDI raises the human capital level, which has a positive effect on innovation of production processes and a sustainable economy. Lastly, there is ASEAN which promotes regional cooperation in the field of environmental sustainability, to tackle regional cross-border problems. The right implementation of these four aspects is the key to environmentally friendly growth in Vietnam.Show less
China's sphere of influence is growing and the African continent is a key player in this global shift. This thesis focusses on a relatively poor region of the continent and China's growing...Show moreChina's sphere of influence is growing and the African continent is a key player in this global shift. This thesis focusses on a relatively poor region of the continent and China's growing geopolitical influence in that region. It takes the Addis Ababa-Djibouti Railway as a case study because it is a tangible and successful manifestation of China’s Africa policy. The research concludes that China's two major gains through such projects are diplomatic support from these countries and that China is able to gain regional control through individual countries.Show less
The question of the negative Chinese impact in African countries needs to be discussed in wider terms than positive or negative. Indeed, Chinese investment and behavior in Africa have been...Show moreThe question of the negative Chinese impact in African countries needs to be discussed in wider terms than positive or negative. Indeed, Chinese investment and behavior in Africa have been questioned, as for instance about the trade imbalance in China’s favor, its impact on domestic markets and industrialization process and also the impact of its high competitiveness, which are seen as hurting African economies. Chinese goods dumped in African countries are highly price-competitive manufactured goods, and most of African economies have an underdeveloped industrial sector, therefore limiting their development and the possibility to compete on their domestic market. International trade should be based on the establishment of an order of equality and not the one of exploitation. A first superficial glance on Sino Algerian relations might give a negative, or pessimistic view of the relationship, yet a deeper analysis and the incorporation of an understanding of the Algerian officials’ behavior will allow for a more nuanced approach of the relationship.Show less
The unprecedented growth of the Chinese economy was mainly featured by rapidly augmenting exports, which were partly enabled by a beneficial currency valuation of China’s domestic currency, the...Show moreThe unprecedented growth of the Chinese economy was mainly featured by rapidly augmenting exports, which were partly enabled by a beneficial currency valuation of China’s domestic currency, the renminbi (RMB), during the turn of the 21st century. However, along with the liberalization of the Chinese market economy, especially after China’s entry into the World Trade Organization (WTO), agricultural producers were faced with increasing foreign competition as well as ceasing product protection. One question that arises is whether the currency undervaluation enabled the agricultural producers to maintain their competitiveness despite their abrupt confrontation with market exposure. Another question that arises is whether the currency undervaluation enabled the agricultural producers’ to increase their outputs, in light of the opportunities engendered by market liberalization. In other words, in this thesis, I will examine the extent to which agricultural producers benefited from the renminbi undervaluation during the turn of the 21st century.Show less
After the Asian financial crisis in 1997 which demonstrated the incapability of the global financial institutions, especially the International Monetary Fund, to adequately respond to the crisis in...Show moreAfter the Asian financial crisis in 1997 which demonstrated the incapability of the global financial institutions, especially the International Monetary Fund, to adequately respond to the crisis in East Asia. Regional dissatisfaction with the IMF led bail-out caused a series of efforts to build regional institutions in order manage future crises. The most prominent is the Chiang Mai Initiative (CMI). The CMI was created in 2000 by the ASEAN+3 countries as a tool to prevent another financial crisis like the one striking the several Asian countries in 1997-1998 from happening. Later it developed into the CMIM. This thesis aims to investigate the usefulness of the CMI/CMIM to China.Show less
