Rethinking investments in natural resources

For example, the Chinese government has supported the construction of several important cultural and state buildings, such as the National Cultural Hall in Laos and the new office of the Council of Ministers in Cambodia. [...] The divergence between the perspectives of the elite and the grassroots on the growing influence of China presents considerable challenges for Cambodian, Lao and Vietnamese leaders. [...] For instance, some state officials in Vietnam estimate that the majority of the coal and rubber exported to China is informal, with no duties paid to the state and no records of the exported tonnage and value. [...] The principal difference among the three countries in their relationship with China is in the relative importance of investment and foreign assistance versus trade in relation to the agribusiness, hydropower and mining sectors. [...] The study also analyses the investment policy environment and the regulatory and institutional frameworks currently in place in the three GMS countries.