The Threat of Political Reform as a Means to Development in Vietnam: A Case Study of INGO- Government Interaction in New Political Spaces

Abstract: Vietnam has undergone unprecedented changes in its recent history, and has become increasingly exposed to global processes due to its deepened integration into the international economy and the large scale investment by the international community in its development process. Remarkable progress has been made over the past twenty five years, however new challenges have emerged and the solutions to these developmental issues are more complex than ever. This I contest is because the solutions lie in the political sphere, which is closely guarded from reform by the Vietnamese Communist Party. Political spaces in Vietnam have however expanded as a result of the infiltration of transnational processes and specifically the presence of INGOs at the grassroots. I argue that future development in Vietnam will occur as a result of the reconfiguration of political spaces in which the state and society interact and seek to achieve their objectives. I further contest that INGOs are particularly influential actors in terms of political reform in Vietnam, and pose the greatest threat to the stability of the Vietnamese Communist regime.