He said Vietnamese officials are modeling their economic makeover after the Chinese system, in which foreigners usually are required to have a Chinese partner. Foreign investors, however, are more willing to accept government limitations in China to reach a market of 1.2 billion people. Recently, Vietnam has taken strides to develop a reputation as a business-friendly country. In October, it introduced the death penalty for corruption cases. This month, the government enacted revisions to the nation's Law on Foreign Investment, addressing some foreign investors' concerns about taxes, land use and bureaucracy.
Water buffaloes scratch themselves on the wire fence around the factory.
The property is about an hour's drive down a rutted road outside Hanoi. Crown and Swire own 67 percent of the company, and the Vietnamese own the rest. The Vietnamese contribution to the plant was the land, because the government controls the ownership of land. The government dictated where the plant would be built, and construction required tons of sand and pilings to keep the plant from flooding. And from time to time there's not enough electricity to operate the plant.