Asian Socialism's Open Doors: Guangzhou and Ho Chi Minh City

No country is more similar to China than Vietnam in terms of traditional society, revolutionary experience and post-revolutionary government. Yet it is equally obvious that China is not only much larger in population and territory; it is considerably more advanced economically today, and its state structure has had more time to develop organizational complexity and managerial capability. China also started the move toward a more open, competitive market economy earlier and from a stronger base, and it has experienced the most rapid economic growth in the world during the past fifteen years. All of these differences together create a contextual disparity in which similar policies in the two countries can have different effects, intermediate units have different capacities, and national-local governmental relationships have different dynamics. This paper will explore this disparity and the dimensions of regional reform in China and Vietnam by comparing the national roles of Guangzhou and Ho Chi Minh City, the two most prominent municipal leaders in economic