ABSTRACT
Government officials and businessmen from the USA to Japan look with a mix of admiration and frustration at the way French leaders and officials go about lobbying their Vietnamese counterparts. France has successfully combined diplomacy with business, allowing government leaders to negotiate projects and conduct state affairs. France’s cultural program aimed at making French a second language in Vietnam is unrealistic. The efforts French companies make to secure a footing in the Vietnamese market are impressive. In contrast to France with its aggressive policy, the Japanese government has been extremely cautious in seeking greater engagement in Vietnam, especially during the US embargo. Japanese companies are more risk-averse, or as they see it, more realistic, about the ‘Vietnam boom’ than their French counterparts.
