Description
Book SynopsisClose to a decade after the collapse of the Soviet bloc, the communist parties of China and Vietnam are not only surviving but are firmly in control. Both countries have moved decidedly away from the state-planned economies their governments championed for decades. They are now market economies and can look with some satisfaction to their recent records of economic performance. Yet, unlike their European counterparts, they have made this transition without undergoing major political upheavals.Arguing that an understanding of the similarities and differences among communist countries provides valuable insights into their momentous transformations, this comprehensive volume compares recent changes in China and Vietnam. Exploring the economic, political, and social effects of reform programs, the chapters pair leading Vietnam and China scholars in a genuinely comparative analysis. Finding similaritiesand unexpected differencesthe authors conclude that Vietnam often has forged its own path rather than following the Chinese model.Contributions by: Anita Chan, Adam Fforde, Benedict J. Tria Kerkvliet, Hy Van Luong, David G. Marr, Barrett L. McCormick, Irene Nørlund, Stanley Rosen, Mark Selden, William S. Turley, Jonathan Unger, Brantly Womack, and Alexander Woodside.
Trade ReviewA wonderfully successful effort at collaboration that not only fulfills its methodological goals, but which is full of insights. . . . This is an extremely worthwhile book that specialists and teachers alike will find very useful. I recommend it highly. * Journal of Asian Studies *
As a comparative reader, the book has much to offer in the way of content. Each chapter covers a particular aspect of the transitions in China and Vietnam, in which certain leitmotifs stand out across essays. * China Review International *
Table of ContentsComparing Vietnam and China: An Introduction Chapter 1: Exalting the Latecomer State: Intellectuals and the State During the Chinese and Vietnamese Reforms Chapter 2: From Plan to Market: The Economic Transition in Vietnam and China Compared Chapter 3: Asian Socialism’s Open Doors: Guangzhou and Ho Chi Minh City Chapter 4: Agrarian Transformations in China and Vietnam Chapter 5: Wealth and Power in the Transition to Market Economies: The Process of Socio-Economic Differentiation in Rural China and Northern Vietnam Chapter 6: Political Change in China and Vietnam: Coping with the Consequences of Economic Reform Chapter 7: Chinese and Vietnamese Youth in the 1990s Chapter 8: Vietnamese and Chinese Labor Regimes: On the Road to Divergence
