Minidragons

Tracing the post-war development of Hong Kong, Singapore, South Korea and Taiwan, it's hard to resist characterizing it as "miraculous". The scope and speed of transformation has startled a generation of observers. Yet the miracles didn't just happen - they were carefully crafted by business leaders and politicians. Today these small countries wield extraordinary economic influence, both as models for other developing regions and as major importers to industrialized nations. However, as a new decade begins, all the minidragons must overcome severe political and economic obstacles in order for the successes of the past to continue in the 1990s. This illustrated volume brings the economic transformation of Asia to life as internationally regarded specialists examine the colonial background, postwar evolution, economic transformations, political systems and future prospects of the minidragons.