|
Vietnam Other Noncommunist Nations
Relations with noncommunist nations were still in the early
stages of development in the mid-1970s to mid-1980s. Noncommunist
aid, nevertheless, was a significant part of Hanoi's budget prior
to Vietnam's invasion of Cambodia in December 1978. In 1976 and
1977, for example, aid from noncommunist nations amounted to
US$438.5 million, of which Sweden, France, Japan, and UN-related
organizations accounted for 78 percent. With the exception of aid
from Sweden, however, such aid was either significantly curtailed
or terminated following the invasion.
Trade ties, after the invasion, suffered similarly. In 1976
four noncommunist trading partners--Japan, Hong Kong, France, and
Sweden--accounted for 44 percent of Vietnam's imports, and more
than half of
Vietnam's exports went to noncommunist buyers such as Singapore,
Hong Kong, Japan, and France. A decade later, in 1986, only 20
percent of Vietnam's imports were of noncommunist origin, and 40
percent of its exports were reaching noncommunist markets.
By the mid-1980s, however, Vietnam was actively seeking to
improve its economic and political ties with the noncommunist
world community in order to stimulate aid, trade, and investment.
With few exceptions, noncommunist nations were prepared to
reciprocate. The one obstacle preventing their doing so remained
Hanoi's continued occupation of Cambodia and the absence of a
resolution to the conflict.
Data as of December 1987
|
