Private Entrepreneurs in China and Vietnam: Social and Political Functioning of Strategic Groups (China Studies, 4)

With this book, Thomas Heberer has written the first in-depth analysis of “entrepreneurs” in China and Vietnam. Key question raised is the role played by entrepreneurs in the process of the recent astonishing political and economic change. Based on a survey among several hundreds of these entrepreneurs, the author convincingly argues that this strategic group has a strong desire for a true say in political decision making. As a body, a strategic group, they have indeed through various means come to exercise an important function in political development and change. It so becomes clear that over the past decades private entrepreneurs have grown into a primary leading, definitely distinct social group in terms of income and social status with considerable influence on all levels of society. Annotation The comparative study of entrepreneurial strata and the private sector in the two countries is based primarily on quantitative and qualitative surveys of entrepreneurs in three locations in each country with different levels of development. Heberer (political science and East Asian studies, Gerhard-Mercator U., Duisburg) points out that the process of change in Vietnam and China differ from that in eastern Europe by having no political or social counterpart to economic reforms. Gluckman, for whom no information is provided, translated , published by Mitteilungen des Instituts f Asiankunde, Hamburg, in 2001. Annotation (c)2003 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com) An in-depth analysis of ""entrepreneurs"" in China and Vietnam, emphasizing the role played by entrepreneurs in the process of the astonishing political and economic change. The author argues that this strategic group has a strong desire for a true say in political decision-making With this book, Thomas Heberer has written the first in-depth analysis of "entrepreneurs" in China and Vietnam. The key question raised is the role played by entrepreneurs in the process of the recent astonishing political and economic change