VN Express is carrying an article about Vietnam’s supporting industries, or lack thereof, amid booming exports. Of interest, is one particular solution put forward by Pham Chanh Truc, former head of the Saigon Hi-tech Park.
“The government has to create a market by ordering goods from domestic businesses. After some time, after establishing their products’ quality, domestic firms can persuade foreign corporations to partner with them,” he told VN Express.
This would actually conflict with clauses in a number of Vietnam’s free trade agreements that prevent governments from favouring domestic over foreign firms. In this context, this may indicate a lack of understanding of Vietnam’s free trade agreements, a problem that has come up before; and also dissatisfaction with at least some of the outcomes of these free trade agreements.