Introduction

With the end of the Cold War the fight for power in the world has changed from the political-military field to a race for economic power. The importance of economic competitiveness is reflected in the special attention paid to economic relations between nations. This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book compares the strategies of France and Japan in trying to win economic and political influence in the newly emerging Vietnam. It stretches back into history because both Japan and France have long-standing contacts with Vietnam. The book examines the specific features of the strategies of French and Japanese companies in penetrating into the Vietnamese market. It identifies differences in the French and Japanese strategies in order to draw some conclusions about the determining factors of a successful strategy.