Southeast Asia has become a key area for the development of the “Belt and Road’ initiative (BRI). At present, among the six economic corridors planned by the BRI, Southeast Asia has covered two of them – the China-Indochina Peninsula Economic Corridor and the Bangladesh-China-India-Myanmar Economic Corridor. In the meantime, Southeast Asia is also an important part of ”21st Century Maritime Silk Road“ initiative, and thus can been considered as a sample of demonstration for the globalization strategy of the BRI. This study finds that in recent years, China-invested infrastructure and connnectivity building (particularly the railway constructions) have been growing fast in Southeast Asia. In addition, a number of China-ASEAN industrial cooperation zones have been established. Together with an increasing number of enterprises settled in these zones, transnational supply chains have begun to take shape. In this context, China’s private-owned enterprises have also started to expand their investment in the Southeast Asian markets. Nonetheless, the BRI has been confronted with problems and challenges, and has been criticized for the lack of risk management, profitability, sustainability, localization and public support. It shows that the export of ”China Model“ can be problematic, as it remains not adapted to other countries’ local conditions. This research first looks at the achievements of the BRI in Southeast Asia, and then examines the problems and challenges in these projects. Finally, this article also aims to provide a number of policy recommendations to the Chinese government.

This study aims to assess the attraction of foreign direct investment in Vietnamese economic zones (including industrial zones and economic zones). The main research method used are synthesis and comparison analysis based on the data collected from the surveyed group comprising of enterprises operating in the economic zones in the Middle (Chu Lai, Nhon Hoi, Dung Quat) and the Southern (the largest island: Phu Quoc) . After conducting surveys, research results show that there is a difference between the assessment and the level to meet the requirements of investors with business environment, expressed through the following criteria: (1) the infrastructure; (2) quality of public services; (3) preferential policies; (4) labor; (5) market; and (6) social services. Based on the assessment of the identified criteria, this paper had suggested six number of recommendations to promote the role of attracting foreign direct investment capital into the economic zones in Vietnam: (1) implementing the "one-stop-shop" policy; (2) continuing to improve the infrastructure of economic zones; (3) prevent and ensure the security of economic zones; (4) implementing vocational training activities to improve quality of human resources; (5) development of supporting industries; (6) raising the quality of capital invested in the economic zone

This research investigates the characteristics, principles, advantages, factors and problems of cluster development in Kazakhstan, and identifies the prerequisites, conditions and stages of organizing clusters on the framework of special economic zones. In this research, we used methods, which will allow analyzing of the organization industrial clusters in special economic zones in Kazakhstan. The author studied international experience of cluster development and the efficiency of the use of the model of the "rhombus effect" with account the specific features of interaction between the participants of the cluster, analysis of the legal framework for the formation and development of clusters. These have been identified as the more important or strategically necessary clusters in Kazakhstan: innovation- technological cluster, innovation-education cluster, innovation- petrochemical cluster, innovative-metallurgical cluster, transport and logistics cluster, textile industry cluster, tourism cluster, agro cluster, construction cluster, medical and pharmaceutical cluster. Firstly, the results suggest that the interaction of science, education, business and government in the development and implementation of innovation policy is not sufficiently structured to provide a balanced representation of the interests of the range of various innovative enterprises in Kazakhstan. Secondly, the legal basis of cluster development in Kazakhstan is determined. Need to develop mechanisms for the implementation of promising direction. Thirdly, the clusters can be formed in the existing special economic zones, allowing them to get right to the mass production of high-tech products that are developed.