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Why does Vietnam lag so far behind China, despite similar cultures and political systems?

vtnsx

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Here's one thing: China has built an industrial manufacturing base that's among the best in the world. Their proficiency in designing and manufacturing increasingly complex electronics for western technology companies (and now their own technology companies) has allowed the country to maintain some level of parity with the west during the computer age. Why did this happen for China but not for Vietnam?

main-qimg-3929144e967795c9e61191ab719e614a


Kissinger? After the Vietnam War China and the US were trading with each other again within ten years. US consumer electronics companies (soon to be followed by the Japanese) have been outsourcing to China for over 30 years.

Why did Kissinger make it a point to keep relations open with China? To keep Russia honest during the Cold War.'

So you could say that Russia is one reason why China has maintained technological and industrial parity with the west while Vietnam has remained an ostracized, rural pariah.

There are all sorts of reasons that one country does better economically than the other, but there are two most important factors: first, it economical potential of its political and economical system, second when the country adopts a better system. China reformed in late 70's, and Vietnam only in late 90's. So I guess that answered the most part of the question.

Actually Vietnam did an OK job after it opened in 90's. You can see it from the growth rate graph above, in most of the time, it's actually above average in southeast asian countries. That means, even these countries started at different levels, they all improves as time being, and Vietnam improves quicker than its neighbours, and far better than the world average.

But at the other hand, you can also see China's insane grow rate above all other countries, so I guess the real question is not between China and Vietnam, but between China and the rest of the world: What made China so special?

I am not good at economics, here's only my guesses:

1. The economical system China adopted is effective.

2. After 1989, the communist party had a strong grip on the society, almost the entire country abandoned the idealogical struggles, and started to focus only on economical development.

3. China's size made it important in world economy, so when the country built a sizeable market and with a strong work force, it also built up it's growth momentum when it interacted with the rest of the world.

4. The semi-authoritarian government can relocate the resources much easier than western countries. In the beginning phase of modernisation, it has greater advantage. When most part of China was still in poverty, some special areas started economical experiments which later proved effective and adapted by the whole country.

And it's still true, when some cities' GDP almost reach to the leagues of the developed countries, a large part of China is still poor.


Now China is strong enough to defend herself from the Soviet. However, China is now a threat to the US. The next benefactor will be Vietnam. Please give China an applause and thank them for this new chapter. Without China, Vietnam will continue to remain poor, corrupted and ignorant forever. No offence.
 
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Vietnamese and other South Asian countries are easy going people while the Chinese and Japanese are more industrious.
 
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Vietnam is the closest country to China in terms of political system, economic system, culturally. That's why many marriages take place between Mainland Chinese and Vietnamese. Very similar countries. It's big brother vs little brother.
 
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Here's one thing: China has built an industrial manufacturing base that's among the best in the world. Their proficiency in designing and manufacturing increasingly complex electronics for western technology companies (and now their own technology companies) has allowed the country to maintain some level of parity with the west during the computer age. Why did this happen for China but not for Vietnam?

main-qimg-3929144e967795c9e61191ab719e614a


Kissinger? After the Vietnam War China and the US were trading with each other again within ten years. US consumer electronics companies (soon to be followed by the Japanese) have been outsourcing to China for over 30 years.

Why did Kissinger make it a point to keep relations open with China? To keep Russia honest during the Cold War.'

So you could say that Russia is one reason why China has maintained technological and industrial parity with the west while Vietnam has remained an ostracized, rural pariah.

There are all sorts of reasons that one country does better economically than the other, but there are two most important factors: first, it economical potential of its political and economical system, second when the country adopts a better system. China reformed in late 70's, and Vietnam only in late 90's. So I guess that answered the most part of the question.

Actually Vietnam did an OK job after it opened in 90's. You can see it from the growth rate graph above, in most of the time, it's actually above average in southeast asian countries. That means, even these countries started at different levels, they all improves as time being, and Vietnam improves quicker than its neighbours, and far better than the world average.

But at the other hand, you can also see China's insane grow rate above all other countries, so I guess the real question is not between China and Vietnam, but between China and the rest of the world: What made China so special?

I am not good at economics, here's only my guesses:

1. The economical system China adopted is effective.

2. After 1989, the communist party had a strong grip on the society, almost the entire country abandoned the idealogical struggles, and started to focus only on economical development.

3. China's size made it important in world economy, so when the country built a sizeable market and with a strong work force, it also built up it's growth momentum when it interacted with the rest of the world.

4. The semi-authoritarian government can relocate the resources much easier than western countries. In the beginning phase of modernisation, it has greater advantage. When most part of China was still in poverty, some special areas started economical experiments which later proved effective and adapted by the whole country.

And it's still true, when some cities' GDP almost reach to the leagues of the developed countries, a large part of China is still poor.


Now China is strong enough to defend herself from the Soviet. However, China is now a threat to the US. The next benefactor will be Vietnam. Please give China an applause and thank them for this new chapter. Without China, Vietnam will continue to remain poor, corrupted and ignorant forever. No offence.

Our best is working in over sea now.:-)

small country, small population (*10 mill in 1880) too much war from 1858 - 1990.

There was backward , useless confucian, who was majority in Nguyễn Dynasty Kingdom court in Huế.
 
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1- War ravage infrastructures.
2- Mis/bad management from communist lead party (who are mostly farmers and soldiers with no managing experience) which led to numerous other sub factors:
a. Chose wrong economic model (socialism)
b. Wasteful resources
c. Brain drain
d. Corruption
e. Inefficient government system / SOEs.
f. Lack of untrained/skills workers / poor human resource
g. bad policy / laws / for enterprise, business
 
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Vietnam has a stable political environment, good education system, intelligent population with good work ethic, and dose not have the burden of a caste system and religion. Vietnamese also believe in the concept of "born to be equal", and the society endorses the upward mobility and rewards the hard working. As long as Vietnam can successfully steer away from "color revolution", and refrain from Anti-China sentiment which discourages FDI from Greater China, it should catch up China very soon in terms of level of industrialization and living standard.
 
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Vietnam is the closest country to China in terms of political system, economic system, culturally. That's why many marriages take place between Mainland Chinese and Vietnamese. Very similar countries. It's big brother vs little brother.

I thought Japan and Korea are more close to China racially, culturally, except your communism thing.

1- War ravage infrastructures.
2- Mis/bad management from communist lead party (who are mostly farmers and soldiers with no managing experience) which led to numerous other sub factors:
a. Chose wrong economic model (socialism)
b. Wasteful resources
c. Brain drain
d. Corruption
e. Inefficient government system / SOEs.
f. Lack of untrained/skills workers / poor human resource
g. bad policy / laws / for enterprise, business

d.

Plus your untroubled relationship with the mainland. Should send your elites to observe how Korea benefit from China.
 
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I thought Japan and Korea are more close to China racially, culturally, except your communism thing.



d.

Plus your untroubled relationship with the mainland. Should send your elites to observe how Korea benefit from China.

Our elites have been to S. Korean, studied on Chebol economy of Korean. And said that: there is capitalism and US$ working well.:-).
 
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Just a smaller version of China (because of smaller land area and population). Culturally, there are not a lot of differences between Vietnam and China.

Southern China, in particular Guangxi, and to some degree Cantonese, do have a lot in common with Vietnam.
However much less in common with Chinese of other regions.

1- War ravage infrastructures.
2- Mis/bad management from communist lead party (who are mostly farmers and soldiers with no managing experience) which led to numerous other sub factors:
a. Chose wrong economic model (socialism)
b. Wasteful resources
c. Brain drain
d. Corruption
e. Inefficient government system / SOEs.
f. Lack of untrained/skills workers / poor human resource
g. bad policy / laws / for enterprise, business

Agree with most of your points. These are only temporary, transient in nature, and that's why I am optimistic about the future of Vietnam, as long as proven mistakes won't be made again.
 
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