Introduction

In ancient times, India and China enjoyed highly developed civilizations. At that time there were no indicators such as GNP, per capita income, and exchange rates. History records innumerable cases of defeat, surrender, occupation and loss of independence. But in modern times, occupation by foreign troops and consequent loss of national independence does not usually lead to the permanent disappearance of the country in question from the political map of the world. The rapid rise of Japan and then South Korea testifies to the importance of middle-grade technology for the development of a country committed to quickly catching up with the advanced industrial nations. Changes in the ranking of countries have occurred frequently in world history. The driving force of these ups and downs are primarily military strength. In the early 1960s, when the behaviour of multinational companies was being disputed on an international scale, the disputes were primarily concerned with US and West European companies.