Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Investment, Foreign – Australia'

Australia and the UK are both prominent economies in the international arena and share a strong trade and investment relationship. Interestingly, the UK while being a significant destination for Australian exports is an even more significant destination for Australian direct investment, a case anomalous to international trends. Analysis of this case elicits the question as to what factors differentiate between the firms that export and those that FDI. It is imperative to understand the differentiating factors between exports and direct investment as market entry decisions are decisive to the success of firms in international markets. A number of theories of international market entry have developed over the last quarter century, the ownership, location, and internationalisation model (OLI) is used in this study. The importance of the variables developed in this model are identified, and assessed as to their relevance to entry of Australian firms into the UK market through FDI or Exports. Qualitative information is used to support initial quantitative profiling. Results of the investigation indicate that while some variables were at times decisive, they were not predictive at all in other situations. The full interaction of the variables in the model was therefore concluded to be essential to fully differentiate between exports and FDI in all cases.

Australia and the UK are both prominent economies in the international arena and share a strong trade and investment relationship. Interestingly, the UK while being a significant destination for Australian exports is an even more significant destination for Australian direct investment, a case anomalous to international trends. Analysis of this case elicits the question as to what factors differentiate between the firms that export and those that FDI. It is imperative to understand the differentiating factors between exports and direct investment as market entry decisions are decisive to the success of firms in international markets. A number of theories of international market entry have developed over the last quarter century, the ownership, location, and internationalisation model (OLI) is used in this study. The importance of the variables developed in this model are identified, and assessed as to their relevance to entry of Australian firms into the UK market through FDI or Exports. Qualitative information is used to support initial quantitative profiling. Results of the investigation indicate that while some variables were at times decisive, they were not predictive at all in other situations. The full interaction of the variables in the model was therefore concluded to be essential to fully differentiate between exports and FDI in all cases.

The thesis concentrates on measuring the benefits and losses of implementing regional trade agreements. In particular, the thesis analyses trade flow changes, foreign direct investment inflow changes, industrial total factor productivity changes and specific commodity trade flow changes in Australia and China. Four empirical studies are undertaken. Firstly, the thesis introduces the gravity model to estimate the effect of regional trade agreements on trade flow changes, focusing on thirty-nine countries and areas from seven regional trade agreements during 1980-2004. The results show that there are trade creation and trade diversion effects for various memberships. The results further show that China experiences an export creation effect for its APEC membership while Australia has an import diversion effect for its CER membership. When trade between Australia and China is considered, Australia's CER membership impedes its trade with China. However, both Australia and China benefit from attending APEC jointly to enlarge their bilateral trade. Secondly, a modified gravity model is undertaken to test the impact of regional trade agreements on foreign direct investment inflows to Australia and China. It uses the same regional trade agreements to that of the trade flow study for the period of 1980 to 2004 for Australia and 1985 to 2004 for China. The results show that CER members tend to strengthen their bilateral foreign direct investment cooperation after the implementation of CER trade and investment liberalization. Thirdly, the impact of regional trade agreements is examined on industrial total factor productivity growth. The findings show that industries with comparative trading advantages in both Australia and China tend to improve their total factor productivity upon liberalizing trade both bilaterally and multilaterally. However, industries with comparative disadvantages need more protection against severe foreign competition. It uses data from 1974-75 to 2004-05 for the Australian market sector analysis, from 1968-69 to 1990-2000 for the Australian manufacturing industry analysis, and from 1987 to 2003 for the Chinese industry analysis. Finally, the thesis investigates the impact of regional trade agreements on bilateral commodity trade between Australia and China from 1979 to 2004. A similar gravity model to that of the trade flow study is used, introducing an additional GDP per capita variable to capture the effect of increasing consumers' income on their consumption of particular goods and products type based on product and production characteristics. Both the one-digit and some detailed four-digit commodity classifications described in the Standard International Trade Classification are considered. The results show that participation in regional trade agreements is an important factor that affects Australia's major commodity trade with China. The major contribution of this thesis is the investigation of issues on trade flows and foreign direct investment specifically in Australia and China, together with the studies of the effect of regional trade agreements on industrial total factor productivity improvement and specific commodity trade changes. Due to the increasing pursuit of bilateral and regional economic cooperation in Australia and China, the results of this thesis are of particular importance to both countries in their foreign trade and economic strategies.

Since the latter half of the twentieth century patterns of economic flows and the deployment of systems of production have encouraged greater political and social integration between nation states. This phenomenon, called globalisation, has reinvigorated debate about the nation state as a mode of organisation, and created the conditions for an ongoing natural experiment concerning state adjustment. This experiment, while on a global scale, has led to different responses from national governments, as each grappled with how best to accommodate both domestic and international interests. One neglected aspect of analysis in these processes is the role played by national bureaucracy in state adjustment as a means to move with globalising pressures or to resist their impact. This thesis presents a qualitative analysis of the interaction of one globalising process, foreign direct investment (FDI), and the workings of the nation state, as a means of assessing the way in which the national government has used regulatory processes and its bureaucracy to control FDI. An extended historical case study is used to examine changes in policy, regulation and the organisation of the national bureaucracy concerned with FDI in Australia. The period examined is from 1968 to 2004 enabling comparisons to be made across the experience of seven successive national governments (those led by prime ministers Gorton, McMahon, Whitlam, Fraser, Hawke, Keating and Howard) in the way they managed the domestic and international circumstances that impacted on FDI. This thesis makes a contribution to the literature on the interaction of globalising processes, the nation state and the role played by national public bureaucracies where national and transnational interests intersect. In particular, this thesis identifies the national bureaucracy as a key agent for government in enabling and domesticating the processes of globalisation. This finding demonstrates that national bureaucracy is significant as both a facilitator and the inhibitor of processes of globalisation, and therefore is a key factor in understanding the issues of state adjustment in studies of globalisation.

Based on Dunning's dominant international business theory and the unique characteristics of construction, a novel framework is developed and tested to explain multinational contracting into Australia. Beyond contributions to theory, Australian governments now have clear evidence upon which to develop more effective procurement reform towards increasing the attractiveness of public sector major infrastructure projects and competition in this sector.

The growing economic importance of China with its major economic power in the East Asia region has become a popular host destination for receiving foreign investment from Hong Kong, Korea, and Taiwan. With China’s growth and development, this nation has over time become one of Australia’s main trading partners. As new investment opportunities have emerged, Australian companies, especially from Western Australia have shown interest in the Chinese marketplace. Despite the popular consensus that Australian companies are increasingly investing in China, to date relevant literature examining this notion is limited. Specifically, studies of elements that motivate or deter owners / managers of Australian companies, especially from Western Australia to invest in China are restricted. Consequently, the purpose of this study was to investigate the likely relationships between four independent constructs (1. market size, 2. labour cost, 3. infrastructure, and 4. business ethics) in China and the intensity of foreign investment from Western Australia, and to evaluate if and how these relationships are mediated by personality attributes (i.e., gender), organisational properties (i.e., size), and networking.To empirically investigate the determining factor for undertaking investment in China, this study employed both quantitative and qualitative approaches. The use of the quantitative method positivist approach is deemed as a suitable, partial approach, which assists in determining the statistical relationships between the investigated variables. Moreover, a qualitative approach was used in a complementing context to understand the quantitative results. Given the dynamic business environment in China, the use of a qualitative approach has potential for gaining a more comprehensive understanding of quantitative findings as well as providing rich information for further interpretations.This study was conducted with 43 respondents of Western Australian companies. A salient feature of the study companies is that they either have capabilities to invest or are already investing in mainland China (People’s Republic of China, in this study identified as China). The targeted companies are involved in manufacturing and services industries, such as mining, education, banking, and telecommunication. Although collecting primary data appeared to be a challenge, the data were robust for statistical analysis. In addition, the data were from decision makers of the study companies, which further indicate the richness of the sample.The findings of this study revealed that China’s large market size plays a positive role in attracting investments from WA to China. Similarly, the adequate level of infrastructure and the level of familiarity of business ethics in China tend to somewhat encourage WA investors to conduct business in China. In contrast, China’s cheap labour cost was not the primary driver that motivates WA companies to invest in China. In relation to the mediating effects of personality attributes (e.g., gender), organisational properties (i.e., size), and networking the study findings revealed that networking plays a significant mediating role in the investment decision. However, due to the relatively small sample size, personality attributes and organisational properties were established to provide insufficient analytical rigor in the decision to invest in China by WA companies.The implications for this study may offer insightful information to enrich the understanding of the determinants of Australian foreign investment in general, and in the Chinese marketplace in particular. In addition, by empirically investigating the perceptions of the decision makers of WA companies in relation to their investment decisions in China, the findings of this research may assist foreign companies to undertake better planning of their investment decisions. More specifically, this study may offer additional insight to those companies that are operating or planning to invest in the Chinese marketplace. For example, this study may be particularly useful for international managers or owners, as it may provide some fruitful information to assist a better understanding of the issues that relate to business ethics with Chinese operations. In addition, the phenomenon of guanxi in China has been considered as a major determinant for facilitating business engagement in the Chinese marketplace. It may, therefore, be argued that the phenomenon of guanxi in assisting business operations in China has become increasingly important, and international managers or owners may need to gain a deeper understanding of this phenomenon.

The growing economic importance of China with its major economic power in the East Asia region has become a popular host destination for receiving foreign investment from Hong Kong, Korea, and Taiwan. With China’s growth and development, this nation has over time become one of Australia’s main trading partners. As new investment opportunities have emerged, Australian companies, especially from Western Australia have shown interest in the Chinese marketplace. Despite the popular consensus that Australian companies are increasingly investing in China, to date relevant literature examining this notion is limited. Specifically, studies of elements that motivate or deter owners / managers of Australian companies, especially from Western Australia to invest in China are restricted. Consequently, the purpose of this study was to investigate the likely relationships between four independent constructs (1. market size, 2. labour cost, 3. infrastructure, and 4. business ethics) in China and the intensity of foreign investment from Western Australia, and to evaluate if and how these relationships are mediated by personality attributes (i.e., gender), organisational properties (i.e., size), and networking.
To empirically investigate the determining factor for undertaking investment in China, this study employed both quantitative and qualitative approaches. The use of the quantitative method positivist approach is deemed as a suitable, partial approach, which assists in determining the statistical relationships between the investigated variables. Moreover, a qualitative approach was used in a complementing context to understand the quantitative results. Given the dynamic business environment in China, the use of a qualitative approach has potential for gaining a more comprehensive understanding of quantitative findings as well as providing rich information for further interpretations.
This study was conducted with 43 respondents of Western Australian companies. A salient feature of the study companies is that they either have capabilities to invest or are already investing in mainland China (People’s Republic of China, in this study identified as China). The targeted companies are involved in manufacturing and services industries, such as mining, education, banking, and telecommunication. Although collecting primary data appeared to be a challenge, the data were robust for statistical analysis. In addition, the data were from decision makers of the study companies, which further indicate the richness of the sample.
The findings of this study revealed that China’s large market size plays a positive role in attracting investments from WA to China. Similarly, the adequate level of infrastructure and the level of familiarity of business ethics in China tend to somewhat encourage WA investors to conduct business in China. In contrast, China’s cheap labour cost was not the primary driver that motivates WA companies to invest in China. In relation to the mediating effects of personality attributes (e.g., gender), organisational properties (i.e., size), and networking the study findings revealed that networking plays a significant mediating role in the investment decision. However, due to the relatively small sample size, personality attributes and organisational properties were established to provide insufficient analytical rigor in the decision to invest in China by WA companies.
The implications for this study may offer insightful information to enrich the understanding of the determinants of Australian foreign investment in general, and in the Chinese marketplace in particular. In addition, by empirically investigating the perceptions of the decision makers of WA companies in relation to their investment decisions in China, the findings of this research may assist foreign companies to undertake better planning of their investment decisions. More specifically, this study may offer additional insight to those companies that are operating or planning to invest in the Chinese marketplace. For example, this study may be particularly useful for international managers or owners, as it may provide some fruitful information to assist a better understanding of the issues that relate to business ethics with Chinese operations. In addition, the phenomenon of guanxi in China has been considered as a major determinant for facilitating business engagement in the Chinese marketplace. It may, therefore, be argued that the phenomenon of guanxi in assisting business operations in China has become increasingly important, and international managers or owners may need to gain a deeper understanding of this phenomenon.

This research identifies the project explores, differences between clarifies, and the town planning systems in the two cities which will give significant influence on commercial development. The discussion are divided into the following sequential steps; - Surveying and presenting the town planning regulations in the two cities which relate to the commercial development in Central Business District. Performing analysis similar and dissimilar points in relationship to town planning and present the differences for Australian Companies likely to be involved on project in Jakarta. - Stating conclusions based on the points above regarding town planning and commercial development in Jakarta and presenting one case study as an overview of the issues for Australian party. Giving some recommendation for Australian party and some additional information regarding property business in Jakarta. The outcomes of this research is to give overview and provide information to the Australian Companies (Project Management Consultant, Property Developer, Construction Companies, Architect, Planner) about how town planning in Jakarta influences the process of commercial development. These outcomes can be used to encouraging the Australian Companies to gain project opportunities in Indonesia particularly in Jakarta.

Thesis (PhD)--Macquarie University, Macquarie Graduate School of Management, 2002.
Bibliography: p. A291-A332.
Overview and problem definition -- Theoretical context -- Facets of firm's evaluation of FDI and IJV formation -- Analytical framework and results -- Summary.
This dissertation investigates managerial evaluation of FDI and IJV formation in a developing country. The assessment is likely to be influenced by a country's factor endowments, created assets and policy framework. The efficiencies of the processes relating to decision-making, IJV formation and FDI implementation in a particular country can also impact a firm's evaluation of the country. Further, all the above variables are assessed by a firm in the context of its motives and organisational characteristics. -- After an initial growth period, driven by the country's economic reforms, FDI in India seems to have stagnated at relatively low levels. In addition, the conversion of FDI proposals (approved by Indian authorities) into direct investment in the country remains low. Empirical research on FDI outflows has typically focussed on large economies. A limited industrial base and market size differentiates Australia from these countries. -- This thesis contributes to the understanding of managerial assessment of a potential FDI destination in the context of Australian firms investing in India - a recent phenomenon that has not been previously explored. This research also differentiates itself from other studies in its investigation of FDI-related processes that are virtually overlooked in earlier empirical literature. Earlier empirical studies have explored some of the dimensions affecting a firm's assessment of an FDI location in isolation. Investigating these issues on the same set of sample firms renders the findings of this research more holistic. Through exploring the impact of a firm's organisational context on its assessment of a potential FDI location, this study also addresses the inadequate attention given to a firm's 'operational and strategically-based variables' and to 'managerial' rather than 'market' processes in existing empirical literature on FDI (Dunning, 1988, p. 8; Buckley, 1996, p. 18). At a practical level, this research provides guidance to decision makers in India to improve its FDI appeal. It also identifies the key issues potential investors should consider in making FDI in the country. -- The theoretical base of this research is inter-disciplinary, incorporating explanations for FDI and IJV formation based on economics, behavioural science, organisational learning and strategic perspectives. Multiple perspectives are used in this exploratory study, primarily to extend our knowledge of FDI and IJV-related processes and decisions. The findings are also compared with the expectations of the alternative theoretical frameworks. -- The data for this research was collected from 25 Australian firms that have invested in India already or have FDI proposals approved by Indian authorities during 1993-1998. A questionnaire was completed in personal meetings with CEOs or other senior executives of the firms in the sample. This data collection was supplemented by interviews with these officers from a sub-sample of 16 firms. -- This research finds that Australian firms are primarily driven by the aggressive motive of market growth in the liberalising economy. The overall FDI attractiveness of India's location-specific factors is perceived by firms to be in the significantly attractive class, albeit close to its lower bound. It is inhibited by unfavourable perceptions of the country relating to eleven location-specific factors which are important to a firm's FDI location decision. These factors are categorised into economic/financial (six), political/legal (three) and IJV-related (two). Firms, which have already invested in India, tend to rate the overall attractiveness of these country factors lower than other firms.
The study finds that, despite recent reforms, India's FDI-related policy framework is still perceived as not sufficiently friendly by Australian investors. Unfavourable assessments of the country, relating to eight policy variables, inhibits its overall policy friendliness for FDI. Regulatory controls on FDI are perceived as the most unfriendly feature of India's FDI regime. The study also shows that the scope to improve the friendliness of its policy regime, through building better awareness of the policies among investors, is limited. Thus improvements in policies are needed before the country undertakes extensive promotional efforts of its policies. -- A firm's FDI decision-making process is materially hampered by delays resulting from cumbersome approval requirements and obtaining responses from the country's authorities. Discussions with potential IJV partners are the only source of information that firms find useful relating to FDI in the country. This suggests that improvements may be needed in India's communication strategies. This research also shows that the host country needs to focus separately on improving some of the country's locationspecific factors, policies and FDI processes to improve its appeal to investors. -- The FDI implementation process in the country is significantly hindered by bureaucratic delays within its various agencies. Firms that have already invested in the country emphasise the severity of this hindrance more than other firms. -- Ownership interest of Australian firms in FDI ventures tends to be lower than the host country's regulatory hurdles. The perception that a local partner can add value to the FDI operation is a major reason for forming IJVs. However, large, non-Australian owned, capital-intensive or well-internationalised firms tend to show more confidence in assuming higher ownership in FDI ventures. -- The study also identifies some important effects of the three dimensions of a firm's organisational context - its attributes, internationalisation behaviour and host country experience - on its assessment of FDI and IJV formation in a country. -- More emphasis on aggressive FDI motives, less concerns relating to cultural dissimilarity with the host country, greater expectation of contributions from IJV partners and an inclination to accept lower ownership interest in IJVs tend to differentiate the FDI behaviour of Australian firms from others dealt with in some earlier studies. Having identified, a suitable partner, Australian firms have a positive perception of the IJV formation process in India, with no issues presenting any significant hindrance to FDI. -- The target audience of this study includes potential Australian and other investors in India, policy planners in India and other developing countries and academics involved in FDI and IJV research.
Mode of access: World Wide Web.
xli, 556, A332 p., ill

O presente trabalho analisa o processo de Integração Económica de Angola na África Austral, mais concretamente no agrupamento regional SADC. Procuraremos destacar as relações atualmente existentes entre Angola e o conjunto de países membros daquele agrupamento, bem como a dinâmica das futuras relações num contexto de reforço do processo de integração económica regional e as possibilidades de desenvolvimento económico na região. Considerando como marco inicial a década de 1990 pode-se afirmar que a integração na África Austral foi pensada naquele momento como um instrumento auxiliar à política de substituição de importações adotadas pelos países da região. Com o esgotamento dos efeitos desta política e com a estabilização política e militar em alguns dos países mais relevantes na região, casos da África do Sul e de Angola, o processo de integração económica na região da África Austral evoluiu para outros objetivos. O Estudo que desenvolvemos sobre o impacto de integração económica de Angola na SADC incidiu sobre alguns aspetos mais relevantes e estratégicos da economia angolana no contexto regional, em especial no plano da intensificação dos fluxos comerciais e de investimento e, ainda, da transferência de tecnologia. Naturalmente tivemos especial atenção à importância que o setor petrolífero angolano, enquanto principal fonte de receita desta economia desempenhou nas relações económicas com os restantes países do agrupamento da SADC, dado que este setor pode desempenhar um papel fulcral no processo de industrialização destes países, podendo contribuir para tornar a região numa potência emergente à escala regional; ANGOLA ECONOMIC INTEGRATION IN SOUTHERN AFRICA: OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES FOR ECONOMIC RELATIONS WITH PARTNERS "SADC” ABSTRACT: The present work analyzes the process of economic integration of Angola in southern Africa, specifically in the SADC regional grouping. Seek to emphasize the relations existing between Angola and sets of members of that group, and the dynamics of future relations in the context of strengthening regional economic integration and the opportunities for economic development in the region coutries. Considering as starting point the 1990 can be stated that the integration in Southern Africa was "thought" at that time as an auxiliary to the import substitution adopted by member countries of the region policy instrument. With the depletion of the effects of this policy and the political and military stabilization in some of the most important countries in the region (the case of South Africa and Angola) the process of economic integration in the Southern African region evolved for other purposes. The study that we propose to develop on the impact of economic integration of Angola in SADC will be developed on some most important and strategic aspects of the Angolan economy in the regional context, in particular in terms of intensification of trade and investment, and the transfer of technology. Of course we will have special attention to the importance that the Angolan oil setor, the main source of revenue in this economy plays in economic relations with other countries in the SADC grouping, as this sector can play a pivotal role in the industrialization process of these countries, contributing to make the region an emerging power on a regional scale.

This thesis draws on David Harvey’s concept of “accumulation by dispossession” and an international political economy (IPE) approach centred on the institutional arrangements and power structures that privilege certain actors and values, in order to critique current capitalist practices of primitive accumulation by the global corporate extractive industry. The thesis examines how accumulation by dispossession by the global extractive industry is facilitated by the “free entry” or “free mining” principle. It does so by focusing on Canada as a leader in the global extractive industry and the spread of this country’s mining laws to other countries – in other words, the transnationalisation of norms in the global extractive industry – so as to maintain a consistent and familiar operating environment for Canadian extractive companies. The transnationalisation of norms is further promoted by key international institutions such as the World Bank, which is also the world’s largest development lender and also plays a key role in shaping the regulations that govern natural resource extraction. The thesis briefly investigates some Canadian examples of resource extraction projects, in order to demonstrate the weaknesses of Canadian mining laws, particularly the lack of protection of landowners’ rights under the free entry system and the subsequent need for “free, prior and informed consent” (FPIC). The thesis also considers some of the challenges to the adoption and implementation of the right to FPIC. These challenges include embedded institutional structures like the free entry mining system, international political economy (IPE) as shaped by international institutions and powerful corporations, as well as concerns regarding ‘local’ power structures or the legitimacy of representatives of communities affected by extractive projects. The thesis concludes that in order for Canada to be truly recognized as a leader in the global extractive industry, it must establish legal norms domestically to ensure that Canadian mining companies and residents can be held accountable when there is evidence of environmental and/or human rights violations associated with the activities of Canadian mining companies abroad. The thesis also concludes that Canada needs to address underlying structural issues such as the free entry mining system and implement FPIC, in order to curb “accumulation by dispossession” by the extractive industry, both domestically and abroad.

This thesis examines the causes and consequences of Australia's external "imbalance" in the 1980's by highlighting the macroeconomic gains from international trade in saving. After developing an extended international accounting and measurement framework which includes new infl ation-adjusted measures, several stylized facts are presented as the basis for subsequent theoretical and empirical analysis. Traditional theoretical approaches to external account determination, such as the classical, elasticities, absorption, monetary and Mundell-Fleming models, are critically evaluated against the measurement framework and are found wanting because they fail to systematically tie the current account, the capital account and foreign investment to the process of real international capital transfer. Alternatively, more meaningful capitaltheoretic models of the external accounts which link saving, domestic investment and foreign investment are adapted to demonstrate the macroeconomic gains from international capital mobility and foreign investment. From a saving-investment perspective, it is argued that Australia's widened external imbalance in the 1980's primarily reflected a rise in private investment activity, though fiscal activity also influenced domestic saving behaviour. It is also argued that greater capital mobility and increased global integration of financial markets were facilitating factors behind the increase in Australia's capital account surplus. Using the precepts of the capital-oriented approaches to external account determination, econometric estimates gauge the extent to which the higher capital inflow and associated current account imbalances improved national output and income over the 1980's. Relatedly, new stock measures reveal that national net worth improved substantially over this time, notwithstanding the sharp rise in external debt. Finally, the thesis questions official and popular concerns about Australia's external position and the effectiveness of industry based proposals to address it. Macroeconomic policy responses which target the external accounts are also considered misplaced in light of Australia's dependence on capital imports.

Foreign direct investment has played an important role in the Australian economy yet despite frequent public controversy there is still no general study of the politics of inward FDI in Australia. This thesis seeks to explain why Australia turned away from a long-established 'open door' policy towards FDI in the late 1960s only to liberalise policy again from the mid-1980s and why policy openness varied across sectors. In doing so the thesis tests the explanatory power of both private and public interest theories of FDI policy. Both accounts are grounded in a theory of political markets characterised by information shortages and political entrepreneurialism. This thesis concludes that Australia's FDI policy during 1960-96 principally reflected government attempts to make politically optimal compromises between competing conceptions of the public interest in relation to FDI. Yet rent seeking was rife and, to some degree, influenced popular and elite perceptions of the public interest. Liberal business constituencies and the imperative of growth-oriented policy strategies usually outweighed private interest suppliers of restrictive FDI policy although periodically the latter did find some influence. Private interests seeking restrictive policy were helped by shortages of information about the real costs and benefits of FDI, in the case of the mining industry in particular, and by popular concern about the cultural consequences of FDI in the case of the mass media. The public interest politics of FDI policy also proved to be inseparable from the use of restrictions on FDI as a second best solution to poor regulatory design, tariff policy and mismanagement of national resources. These findings about the politics of FDI in Australia suggest that when confronted by a weak economy most governments will deliver quite liberal policy in practice for all but the most politically sensitive sectors. The economic costs of economic nationalism may engender their own political momentum for the liberalisation of FDI policy. Yet the Australian experience also suggests that governments will be very hesitant to give up discretionary controls on FDI, such as the Foreign Investment Review Board. This is because they provide a mechanism for managing politically resilient economic nationalist sentiment in the electorate and for providing the odd favour to an influential private interest.

M.Phil. (Mineral Economics)
The energy crises in the seventies and eighties had led to an awareness in the world's business community about the profit potential in the energy mineral supply market. All the sectors in this industry came under scrutiny, also the coal export sector. This awareness and rising interest in the world's coal export market caused amongst others, two major developments : a) a significant rise in investments in coal exporting ventures b) a higher expectation by shareholders with respect to capital returns and future growth Most companies participated in this expansion campaign, and committed resources to achieving the higher objectives. The downturn in'the world's economy , and the resultant diminished demand for energy minerals, caused the coal export market to come under pressure. The long lead time existing in the establishment of mining projects, and the fact that mines under construction cannot be mothballed until times improve, also contributed to the over-capacity situation that eventuated in the coal export industry worldwide. Many companies faced a battle for survival, and participants in the industry had to re-appraise their long term strategies. Established coal producing companies had to determine which strategies would best answer their requirements : a) whether it be to divest from coal production b) whether they should diversify their operational base and many others...

Economic transition towards a market driven economy in the Lao People's Democratic Republic (Lao PDR or Laos) began in 1986 and has attracted international attention including the attention of Australia. This study investigates the trends, patterns and determinants of Australian direct investment in Laos. Australia has played a significant role in the development of the Lao economy through bilateral trade, direct investment and foreign aid. The study outlines the contribution of foreign direct investment (FDI) flows to Laos's socio-economic development. A key part of this study is a case study of an Australian mining company with significant investments in Laos. The study investigates the factors that have influenced the Australian corporate investor to undertake investment in Laos. The study aims to provide a greater understanding of the factors that influence FDI and the factors that may determine the future trends in such investment. The study also assesses the effects of FDI laws and regulations on FDI flows to Laos. The study sheds new light on the trends, patterns and determinants of Australian direct investment in Laos.

in English The purpose of this master's thesis is to introduce a reader into some legal aspects of foreign investment in Australia. And especially those which can be crucial for a foreign investor when contemplating about investing in Australia. The thesis is divided into 6 chapters. The first chapter introduces the topic of foreign investment and the thesis itself. The second chapter familiarizes with the key terms in international investment law, namely, investor (both a natural and legal person) and investment (in economic and legal sense). The third chapter describes the legal framework governing foreign investment in Australia. It provides an overview of domestic and also international legislation. The fourth chapter then deals with admission and establishment of investment in Australia. It covers how this issue is regulated in investment treaties and in domestic legislation, where the most important piece of legislation is Foreign Acquisitions and Takeovers Act. Further, this chapter describes the concept of foreign person and the national interest test. The concept of the national interest test is important as all foreign investments which are notifiable actions are assessed by the Treasurer against the national interest test, which, however, is not defined in legislation. The fifth chapter...

Over the 1960-1995 period, patterns of Australian global trade, investment and immigration shifted considerably, especially in relation to Asia and most notably in relation to China, Hong Kong and Taiwan. Changes within the North East Asian Region propelled Australia to respond in order to maintain its economic standards and its international obligations. Greater emphasis was placed by successive Australian governments on establishing closer ties with Asia, most notably China. However, Australia's attention (and the world) on Hong Kong emerged with the commencement of the Sino-British talks in 1983. This thesis is intended to contribute to an understanding of the past and future impacts of the reversion of Hong Kong on trade, investment and migration flows involving Australia, by a detailed study of those flows between Australia and Hong Kong, China and Taiwan over the period 1960-1995.

This thesis investigates the implications of implementing TRIPS in India for access to medicines drawing on three major factors: (i) the TRIPS agreement, (ii) the global pharmaceutical industry and (iii) the development of Indian pharmaceutical industry and the level of access to medicines in India. In doing so, the thesis examines the requirements of the TRIPS agreement and analyses the costs and benefits of its implementation, especially from a developing country view point. The fairness test shows that TRIPS prematurely forces developing countries to adopt protection standards, which a number of developed countries themselves did not adopt until they had achieved a certain level of economic development

Beginning in the late 1970s foreign banks were allowed to enter into China in line with the country's overall economic reform and opening up program. Recently, many of the world's larger banks have entered the Chinese market and have settled into a strong presence in China, mainly through branches, operating subsidiaries and representative offices in coastal cities and Special Economic Zones. However, unlike other Australian industries which are strengthening their operations or cooperative undertaking in China, in respect of their number of operating institutions in the Chinese financial market Australian banks are behind many foreign banks such as those of the United States, Japan, Hong Kong, UK and France and so on. There has been no systematic study of Australian banking industry entry into the Chinese market to date. This study attempts to identify the opportunities and challenges which foreign banks will face in the second stage of the Chinese economic and financial reforms. The study will also compare and evaluate the market strategies of French and Australian banks in China. The survey focused on both Chinese and foreign banks in China. The findings indicated that the second stage of the Chinese economic and financial reforms should bring opportunities to foreign banks which should outweigh their challenges or difficulties. The study also indicated that Australian banks were in unfavourable position as compared with French Banks, and the business strategies of Australian banks are more conservative than those of the French banks.

Recently, the Saudi Capital Market Authority (CMA) opened the door for foreign investors to invest directly in the stock exchange market (Tadawul) to gain more welfare from their investments. Along with this step, the CMA released a set of Rules for Qualified Foreign Financial Institutions Investments (RQFFII) in Listed Shares 2015 that aimed to attract and protect the shareholders' rights. In this research project, the RQFFII have been examined to discover the level of attraction that these Saudi rules offer to foreign investment. The project also aimed to highlight strengths and weaknesses in the rules with regard to the protection shareholders' rights. This thesis explored the possible influence of foreign investments in the Saudi stock exchange. The research project aimed to increase the CMA and shareholders' awareness and knowledge in regard to these rules which lead to more protection of the local stock exchange.