ABSTRACT

The impressive indices of manufacturing sector growth in the second-tier Southeast Asian newly industrializing countries (NICs) conceal important differences with the experiences of the other first-tier East Asian newly industrializing economies (NIEs), i.e. South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Singapore. The widespread influence of the Japanese "flying geese" analogy for East Asian regional development and variations thereof, and the recent rapid expansion of manufacturing for export has led many observers to suggest that the second-tier Southeast Asian NICs are following in the footsteps of the Northeast Asian NIEs. Singapore's relationship with the Southeast Asian hinterland has been similarly beneficial. One obvious major difference between the two regions of East Asia has been the relative natural resource wealth of Southeast Asia compared to Northeast Asia. Agriculture, minerals, forestry and resource-based manufacturing have accounted for most of the growth of the economies of Southeast Asia, and of their exports in particular.