HO CHI MINH NATIONAL ACADEMY OF POLITICS
TRAN THI TUYET LAN
FOREIGN DIRECT INVESTMENT TOWARDS
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT IN THE NORTHERN KEY
ECONOMIC REGION
Major: Development economics
Code: 62 31 05 01
SUMMARY OF PhD THESIS IN ECONOMICS
HANOI - 2014
The thesis was finished
at the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics
Academic Supervisors: 1. Assoc. Prof. Dr. Pham Thi Khanh
2. Dr. Nguyen Tu
Judge 1: ..........................................................
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Judge 2:..........................................................
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Judge 3:..........................................................
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The thesis will be defended in front of a panel of
examining judges at the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics
At…,……., 2014
The thesis can be found for study at the National Library and the
Library of Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics
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INTRODUCTION
1. The necessity of the research
The Northern key economic region (NKER) is one of national key
economic regions. It is constructed and developed with the aim of maximizing
the comparative advantages of the region, creating economic zones that have
motivation nature, pervasive influence and capacity to help other regions to
develop.
With its own advantages, in the past few years, NKER has been one of
the two national key economic regions that take the lead in attracting FDI in
term of the number of project and size of investment. FDI business sector in
NKER has positive contribution to the region’s economic-social growth and
development. However, the result of FDI attracting and the operation of the
FDI business sector in NKER have shown negative effects which badly
influence the region’s sustainable development on 3 aspects: economy, society
and environmental protection… The phenomenon like transfer pricing and tax
evasion occurring in FDI businesses and causing tax losses to the Government
are quite popular and tend to keep increasing. The phenomena like the fact that
labor’s material and spiritual life hasn’t received satisfactory attention; FDI
businesses’ awareness of complying with the Law on Environment Protection
is not good enough, seen as the neglect of environmental development and the
violation of Law on Environment Protection, have done a big deal to the
ecological environment and health of the population in the area. Those
negative effects are current enormous challenges to the sustainable
development of NKER.
With the above practical issues, further clarifications on FDI rationale
towards sustainable development; assessing FDI reality towards sustainable
development in NKER and seeking for solutions for FDI attracting and FDI
businesses’ management in order to preserve sustainable development of
NKER on the three aspects: economy, society and environment, are urgent
requirements. With the aim of meeting the requirements, the subject “Foreign
direct investment towards sustainable development in the Nothern key
economic region” was chosen for the research.
2. Purposes and tasks of the research
- Research purposes: The thesis recommends main orientations and
solutions in order to promote foreign direct investment towards sustainable
development in NKER in the future.
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- Research tasks: (i) Systematizing and clarifying the rationale of
foreign direct investment towards sustainable development of NKER; (ii)
Learning the experiences of some Asian Countries about foreign direct
investment towards sustainable development of the key economic regions; (iii)
Analyzing and assessing FDI reality towards sustainable development in
NKER, which includes achievements, limitations and causes of limitations,
weaknesses; (iv) Suggesting main orientations and solutions with the aim of
promoting FDI towards sustainable development in NKER in the future.
3. Subject and scope of the research
- Research subject: The research subject of the thesis is foreign direct
investment towards sustainable development in NKER.
- Research scope:
+In term of content: Foreign direct investment is related to two other
subjects: foreign investor and host country. The purpose of foreign investors is
to gain profit while, to the host country, it is economic-social benefits that FDI
provides. For that reason, in the perspective of the host countries, foreign
direct investment towards sustainable development is how the host countries
take benefits from FDI while maintaining sustainable development of their
countries, regions or localities.
By that meaning, within the research scope of the thesis, it will studies the
impact of foreign direct investment on sustainable development of NKER on
three aspects: economy, society, and environment. There in, (i) the researched
investment concept mentioned in the thesis is understood as the investment
activities, investment to gain profits; (ii) the thesis doesn’t include researches
on sustainable development within the area of FDI businesses, but researches
on the impacts of FDI on the host countries, NKER particularly; (iii) the role
of the Government in managing FDI towards sustainable development is only
considered in moderation within influential factors, causes of limitations of
FDI towards sustainable development; (iv) sustainable development are
defined as targets of FDI managers, not included in the dissertation research;
(v) subjects that take part in deciding the orientations of foreign direct
investment towards sustainable development in NKER include the Central
Government, local authorities, FDI businesses and social organizations.
+ In term of space: The thesis studies FDI towards sustainable
development in NKER, on the area of seven provinces and cities under the
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Central Government, such as Hanoi, Hai Phong, Hai Duong, Hung Yen, Quang
Ninh, Bac Ninh and Vinh Phuc.
+ In term of research time: The thesis studies foreign direct investment
towards sustainable development in NKER from 2003 to 2011.
4. Research methods and data sources
- Research methods: The thesis uses research methods for economic
science, especially focuses on the following methods: methods for
systemizing, methods for analyzing and summarizing, statistical and
comparative methods; inductive and deductive methods; expert methods.
- Data sources: Data sources used in the thesis is mainly secondary ones
including: (i) Statistics of the General Statistic Office and Statistics Bureaus of
provinces, cities in NKER; (ii) Reported data of Ministries: Ministry of
Planning and Investment, Ministry of Labor - Invalids and Social Affairs,
Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, and Departments of
provinces and cities; (iii) Surveyed data of relevant research institutes and
research results published in Seminars, articles published in specialized
journals.
5. New contributions of the thesis
- On theoretical aspects: (i) Develop concepts, characteristics and
specify requirements for FDI towards sustainable development of key
economic regions; (ii) Bring out elements influencing FDI towards sustainable
development of key economic regions; (iii) Specify the content and criteria of
FDI towards sustainable development of key economic regions on three
aspects: economy, society, and environment.
- On practical aspects: (i) Clarify the reality of FDI towards sustainable
development in NKER, its limitations and causes; (ii) Suggest main
orientations and solutions for promoting FDI towards sustainable development
of NKER in the future.
6. Structure of the thesis
A part from the introduction, conclusion, list of reference and appendix,
the content of thesis are presented in 4 chapters and 10 sections.
