In light of an increased focus, in Japanese diplomacy since the turn of the millennium, on the need for strengthening democracy and human rights within ASEAN, this paper examines Japanese Official Development Assistance (ODA) to ASEAN during the 21st century in order to understand if Japan has...

This paper examines the East China Sea territorial and maritime dispute between Japan and China, from the re-emergence of the dispute in the 1990s until the 2010 collision between the Japan Coast Guard and Chinese fishing trawler. In the absence of the use of force, the paper provides an...

This working paper offers insights on science and technology in China with supporting official and interview data. The paper, as evidenced from the title, is indicating the future role of Chongqing and its evolution primarily focusing on the period of rapid development of the Municipality after...

The main macroeconomic challenges at the early stages of Vietnam¡¯s economic reforms were related to stability and growth. The main achievements of Doi Moi are also related to the success in meeting these two challenges: Vietnam has managed to combine high growth with reasonable price...

Although it remains a one-party state, Vietnam has become one of the most popular host countries for multilateral and bilateral aid donors during the past decade. Vietnam¡¯s popularity is largely explained by the fact that it perceived as a good aid recipient, and it has often been identified...

The purpose of this paper is to track the development of three components of the Vietnamese welfare state since the introduction of market-oriented economic reforms in the late 1980s: education, health, and social insurance. This is done with reference to Sweden's historical experiences of...

Slow agricultural development has restrained economic growth and poverty alleviation in Cambodia. The country's volatile history has left a legacy of weak tenure security and large areas of underutilized land. This study estimates the impact of access to land on poverty in a logistic regression...

Ethnic minorities have a significantly higher poverty incidence than the majority in Lao PDR. Based on survey data the determinants of minority poverty are analyzed, the sources of inequality decomposed, and the expected impact of polices to address minority poverty estimated. Minority poverty...

In recent years, the Vietnamese government has emphasized its commitment to create a fair business environment for both the state and non-state sectors in its medium and long-term economic development programs. This paper examines the development of the private sector in Vietnam, focusing in...

Lao PDR has shown a strong record of economic growth and poverty alleviation since the early 1990s. Yet, the pace of economic development has varied significantly between different parts of the country - the rate of growth was initially faster in more developed areas, but after the mid-1990s...