ABSTRACT
In the final decade of the twentieth century, socioeconomic and political reform in Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam continued to move in divergent directions. On the one hand, reform policy in all three countries contained the core ingredients found in most states in transition. The Vietnamese government achieved notable results in the decade following the introduction of the package of economic reforms known collectively as doi moi. The performance of the economy was especially impressive given the collapse of Soviet aid and the loss of Comecon trading partners. Prospects for trade diversification improved in 1995 when Vietnam joined ASEAN. Vietnam's accession to full-member status, together with the establishment of diplomatic relations with the United States, were significant moves in the direction of economic and political integration. In March 1991, the Fifth Congress of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party approved a medium-term economic strategy for the period 1991–5.
