However, the situation has not been the same in the countries with a middle income range. The middle income countries have not received a steady inflow of foreign direct income coming their way. The situation is comparatively better in the low income countries. They have had an uninterrupted and continually increasing flow of foreign direct investment. It has been observed that the various debt crises, as well as, other forms of economic crises have had less effect on these countries.
These countries had lesser amounts of commercial bank obligations, which again had been caused by the absence of proper financial markets, as well as the fact that their economies were not open to foreign direct investment. During the later phases of the decade of 70s the Asian countries started encouraging foreign direct investments in their economies. China has received the most of the foreign direct investment that was pumped into the countries with low income. It accounted for as much as 86% of the total foreign direct investment made in the lower income countries in 1995. The economic liberalization in China started in 1979. This led to an increase in the foreign direct investment in China. In the years between 1982 and 1991 the average foreign direct investment in China was US$ 2.5 billion. This average increased by seven times to become US$ 37.5 billion during 1995. A significant amount of the foreign direct investment in China was provided in the industrial sector. It was as much as 68%. Around 20% of the foreign direct investment of China was made in the real estate sector. During the same period Nigeria had been the second best in terms of receiving foreign direct investment.
In the recent times India has risen to be the third major foreign direct investment destination in the recent years. Foreign direct investment started in India in 1991 with the initiation of the economic liberation. There were more initiatives that enabled India to garner foreign direct investments worth US$ 2.9 billion from 1991 to 1995. This was a significant increase from the previous twenty years when the total foreign direct investment in India was US$1 billion. Most of the foreign direct investment made in India has been in the infrastructural areas like telecommunications and power. In the manufacturing industry the emphasis has been on petroleum refining, vehicles and petrochemicals.
Vietnam is a low income country, which is supposed to have the same potential as China to generate foreign direct investment. The foreign direct investment laws were introduced in Vietnam in 1987-88. This led to an increase in the foreign direct investment made in the country. The amount stood at US$ 25 million in 1993 compared to US$ 8 million in 1993. This amount increased by 3 times after the USA removed its economic sanctions in 1994. The gas and petroleum industries were the biggest beneficiaries of the foreign direct investment.
Bangladesh started receiving increasing foreign direct investment after 1991, when the economic reforms took place in the country. After 1991 it was possible for foreign companies to set up companies in Bangladesh without taking permission beforehand. The foreign direct investment rose from US$ 11 million in 1994 to US$ 125 million in 1995. As per the available statistics the manufacturing industry, comprising of clothing and textiles took up 20% of the total approved foreign direct investment. Food processing, chemicals and electric machinery were also important in this regard. The increase in the foreign direct investment in Ghana was remarkable as well. The figures increased from US$11.7 million, on an average, from 1986 to 1992 to US$ 201 million, on an average, from 1993 to 1995. This improvement was brought about by the privatization of the Ashanti Goldfields.
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