20 Major Trends in World Development at the Present Stage

Internationalization of the economy

• Three world centers of capitalism

• Global problems of our time

20.1. Internationalization of the economy

The third scientific and technological revolution caused the acceleration of the process of involving countries in the international division of labor and the exchange of products and information, which served as the basis for the emergence in the second half of the 20th century. the phenomenon of "open economy", or the internationalization of the economy, based on the integration process.

Transnational and multinational companies. Already at the beginning of our century, there were international enterprises that, together with the use of electronic computers and modern communications in the second half of the 20th century. began to turn into diversified complexes operating on the principles of specialization and cooperation of production at the world level. These associations were called transnational and multinational corporations (TNCs and MNCs) and have now become the main driving force of global economic relations. By investing and creating numerous branches abroad, TNCs (and they are almost all the major companies of developed countries) form an extensive system of world production, which does not recognize national boundaries and is united by common organizational, economic and technological relations. Due to the optimal location of production in different countries, given their comparative advantages (availability of sources of raw materials, skilled labor, technical level of production, etc.), TNCs achieve higher economic efficiency. They destroy the boundaries between national markets for goods, capital and labor through the formation of direct production, technical and economic relations between enterprises in different countries, causing the effect of internationalization of the economy. At present, this process is manifested, in particular, through the development of new forms of cooperation between TNK itself. So, the so-called strategic agreements, on the basis of which the financial and technological resources of TNCs are combined to achieve results that are inaccessible to each of them separately, are widely spread.

The development of international enterprises and associations in the conditions of scientific and technical revolution of the second half of the XX century. along with the unprecedented expansion of world markets for goods, capital, labor, contributed to the formation of information markets (know-how, patents, licenses) and scientific and technical services (engineering, leasing).

Integration processes in Western Europe. Another form of internationalization that has received particular development in recent decades is the interstate integration of national economies. The basis of this phenomenon is the desire to achieve greater efficiency of national economies by stimulating the processes of specialization and cooperation in the framework of regional unions, the development of cooperation between the member countries in the areas of production, trade, currency relations and other areas.

The most developed form of international integration is the European Union. The decision to create it in the form of the European Economic Community (EEC) was taken by Belgium, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Germany and France in 1957. Later, the EEC included Great Britain, Ireland, Denmark (1974), Greece (1984), Spain, Portugal (1986), Austria, Finland, Sweden (1995). The main purpose of the association was declared to create a single market for goods, services, labor of the participating countries by achieving the "four freedoms"; freedom of movement of goods, capital, services and labor between the community countries. Since 1993, the EEC is called the European Union.

In a historically short period, the EEC has become one of the main economic centers of the world economy. Today, it accounts for 1/3 of the world goods turnover of countries with market economies, and total exports exceed US exports by 3.6 times, Japan - by 3.8 times. The EEC also surpassed the United States in industrial output and now has half the world's foreign reserves.

Such a dynamic development of common market states is largely due to the fear of European countries to become a kind of “technological periphery” of the United States and Japan under the conditions of the scientific and technological revolution. Therefore, the Common Market countries have combined their efforts in the field of scientific and technical cooperation and the implementation of the results of modern developments in production. For example, in the framework of the program "Eureka" in 80-90 years. cooperation in the field of microprocessor development (the Eurobot program), communication systems (the Eurocom program), biotechnologies (the Eurobio program), creation of new materials (the Euromat program), and others.

In the 90s, integration processes in Europe were further developed. Since January 1, 1993, the Single Domestic Market (EUR) of the European Union has been operating on the basis of lifting the remaining restrictions and barriers for the movement of goods, services, capital and citizens; introducing uniform standards for many types of products. And on November 1, 1993, the Maastricht Treaty of 12 EEC countries entered into force, according to which by the end of the 1990s. The European Union should turn into a monetary, economic and political Union with a single: foreign policy, citizenship and currency. The Maastricht Treaty is one of the largest political and legal acts in the 40-year history of European integration, opening its new stage.

The successes of the EEC are an attractive force for integration into this association of other countries. According to the existing criteria, countries joining the EEC should, firstly, be European, democratic and respect human rights, secondly, have a functioning market economy, and also adopt EEC legislation and, thirdly, implement a common Community foreign policy, including security issues.

Integration of the EEC countries with other European countries is carried out within the framework of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA), created in 1960. The agreement between the EU and EFTA (1992) on the formation of the European Economic Area (EEA) should, according to the plan of the signatories, facilitate the gradual adaptation of participants EFTA to the conditions of future cooperation in the framework of the EEC.

European Union and Eastern European countries. Since the beginning of the 90s. The community has changed policy towards the former socialist countries of Eastern Europe. The agreements concluded with Poland, Hungary and Czechoslovakia (1991), Bulgaria and Romania (1992) provide for the creation of free trade zones for industrial goods, the loosening of restrictions on the movement of services, capital and several restrictions on citizens, the expansion of cooperation in political and cultural areas, the inclusion of EU integration legislation in the national law of Eastern European countries. The implementation of the agreements is designed for the period up to 2001-2003. depending on the particular country. Participation in the SES should assist these countries in carrying out deep market reforms, overcoming the existing gap in the level of economic development with the countries of Western Europe.

The processes of integration of North America. In the 80s. integration trends are clearly evident in the relations of the states of North America - the USA, Canada and Mexico. In 1989, the United States signed an agreement with Canada on a free trade zone, marking the beginning of integration. And in the next, 1990, President J. Bush (born 1924), in response to the deepening of the Western European alliance, put forward a doctrine to establish a free trade zone regime in the territory from Alaska to Tierra del Fuego. As a result, in February 1991, Mexico joined the USA and Canada Agreement. The signed trilateral Agreement provides for: the elimination of all customs duties by 2010; the phased elimination of a significant number of non-tariff barriers to trade in goods and services; easing for North American investment in Mexico; liberalization of conditions for the activities of American and Canadian banks on the financial market of their southern partner; resolving issues related to intellectual property rights; the creation of a tripartite arbitration commission.

Despite the obvious benefits that the United States and Canada receive on the basis of the listed articles, in the opinion of the overwhelming majority of analysts, Mexico still benefits the most from the alliance. Indeed, in recent years, quite deep changes have taken place in this country: accelerated privatization of an ineffective public sector, reform of the tax and financial systems, liberalization of the regime for foreign investments, etc. As a result, Mexico managed to attract significant foreign investment, reduce huge external debt, bring down hyperinflation, stabilize the internal situation. Already in the first year of the Agreement (1991), economic growth in Mexico amounted to 4% (one of the highest in Latin America), the budget was reduced with an active balance, and the inflow of foreign capital reached $ 9.2 billion, or twice exceeded the 1990 figure. However, Mexico initially lost some of its former authority among South and Central America, who accused her of infringing on their interests, based on Mexico’s priority use of the benefits of cooperation with the two most developed countries ta. It is curious that Mexico managed to break the ice of distrust by signing free trade agreements with Chile (1991), Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica (1992), becoming essentially the initiator of the integration of Latin American countries and at the same time a kind of bridge for their entry in a possible alliance with the United States and Canada.

Integration processes in the Asia - Pacific region. Similar integration processes are observed in the Asia-Pacific region, the center and initiator of which is Japan. In November 1989, the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Organization (APEC) was established. In addition to Japan, it includes Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and the Philippines, as well as Australia, Hong Kong, China and New Zealand - only 11 states. The goals of this alliance are the same: the creation of a free trade zone for 15 years with the simultaneous development of integration in other areas of cooperation.

Thus, the integration has involved in its orbit all developed countries of the world and most countries with an average level of development. The integration trends have not bypassed the relatively young, developing states. The need to protect national interests mainly in the markets of raw materials, food, energy resources, labor, etc., pushes them to unite. Examples include organizations of oil-exporting countries (OPEC), iron ore (led by India), copper exporters ( Zaire, Zambia, Peru, Chile), etc.

Integration in other regions. A number of interstate banks and mutual aid organizations, various economic groupings of the countries of Latin America, Southeast Asia and Africa have emerged. True, in contrast to the three integration giants, these associations are very fragile and less effective.

Unfortunately, the global integration process is weakly expressed among the countries that previously belonged to the USSR, which, over a long history of joint history, would seem to have created all the conditions for a quick and, most importantly, fruitful integration. Despite the registration of the economic union of the CIS countries, the reintegration process is currently rather a declaration of the countries that signed the Agreement, is at the stage of a signed protocol of intent, rather than becoming flesh. However, this is due to more domestic and foreign policy, ideological reasons than economic considerations. This is what gives a certain optimism in assessing the prospects for the Euro-Asian integration process, in which Russia should play a leading role.