Vietnam as a Role Model for Development

Vietnam’s development performance since the early 1990s has been one of the strongest in the world, following the introduction of its doi moi (‘renovation’) economic reform programme in 1986. The core of Vietnam’s economic strategy has been rapid integration into the world economy, with a diversified portfolio of exports and the attraction of direct foreign investment. This open approach has been combined with successful domestic agricultural growth and a strong, continued role for state-owned enterprises while encouraging growth of the private sector. Following an ‘East Asian’ model, Vietnam has opened its domestic market only slowly while encouraging export growth. [Research Paper No. 2009/30]