The state, MNCs, and the car industry in ASEAN

The ASEAN countries have achieved rapid industrialisation especially since the mid-1980s. In this process, foreign direct investment (FDI) has played a substantial role. Among foreign investors, Japanese manufacturers are active in the electronics and automobile sectors, forging production networks linking operations in the region. The author inquires, what measures Japanese multinational corporations (MNCs) have adopted in order to respond to the liberalisation policies and resultant new circumstances in ASEAN and how the Japanese government has been involved in their responses. (DÜI-Sen)