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This paper attempts to shed new empirical light on infrastructure's role in economic growth using a semiparametric smooth coefficient model to avoid specification problems in some existing studies and admit infrastructure‐induced nonlinearity and parameter heterogeneity. Estimated by a three‐step procedure that controls for endogeneity in both the regressors and the environmental variable (infrastructure), the model is applied to the empirical context of telecommunications infrastructure in a fast‐growing economy, China. The results reveal that telecommunications contribute to output through various sources, namely its neutral and non‐neutral impacts. The total/net effect is positive but largely decreases with telecommunications stocks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper raises the question and provides empirical evidence regarding the status of the evolution of the state-owned enterprises (SOEs) in China today. In this study, we compare the SOEs to domestic private-owned enterprises (POEs) and foreign-controlled businesses (FCBs) in the context of their organizational cultures. While a new ownership form, many of the POEs evolved from former collectives that reflect the traditional values of Chinese business. Conversely, the FCBs are much more indicative of the large global MNCs. Therefore, we look at the SOEs in the context of these two reference points. We conclude that the SOEs of today have substantially transformed to approximate a configuration desired by the Chinese government when it began the SOE transformation a couple of decades ago to make them globally competitive. The SOEs of today appear to be appropriately described as China's economic dynamic dynamo for the future. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China's regional inequality has been a hot research topic lately and most of the literature focuses on economic development. Since 1990, the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) has devised a measure known as the human development index (HDI) by combining measures of income, education and health. A major concern about HDI is that it is a national average measurement that ignores disparities within a country. This paper aims to explore China's regional inequality under the human development framework with three objectives: ( i) to calculate provincial HDI in 1990, 2000 and 2008; ( ii) to detect the spatial distributions of HDI as well as its three component indices; and ( iii) to reveal the influence of China's transitions on regional human development. GIS and statistical methods such as coefficient of variation, Moran's I, and spatial regression are used in this study. The results illustrate that the overall disparity in HDI declined, but the spatial concentration increased; and the multiple transitions determined the changing patterns of human development. This research provides a broader context for studying China's regional development and has important policy implications. Resumen. La desigualdad regional en China ha sido un tema candente de investigación en los últimos tiempos, centrándose la mayoría de la literatura en el desarrollo económico. Desde 1990, el Programa de Naciones Unidas para el Desarrollo (PNUD) ha venido desarrollando un indicador conocido como el Índice de Desarrollo Humano (IDH), que combina indicadores de ingresos, educación y salud. Una gran preocupación acerca del IDH es que es un indicador promedio a escala nacional, que no tienen en cuenta las diferencias dentro de un país. Este trabajo busca explorar la desigualdad regional de China dentro del marco del desarrollo humano, atendiendo a tres objetivos: (i) calcular el IDH provincial en 1990, 2000 y 2008; (ii) detectar distribuciones espaciales del IDH, así como de los tres indicadores que lo componen; y (iii) revelar la influencia de transiciones en China en cuanto al desarrollo humano regional. En este estudio se utilizan SIG y métodos estadísticos tales como el coeficiente de variación, el índice I de Moran, y la regresión espacial. Los resultados muestran que la disparidad total del IDH disminuyó, al tiempo que aumentó la concentración espacial, y que las múltiples transiciones han significado cambios en los patrones de desarrollo humano. Esta investigación ofrece un contexto más amplio para el estudio del desarrollo regional de China y conlleva importantes implicaciones políticas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper documents important changes in the Chinese macroeconomic environment over the last three decades. The volatility of Chinese aggregate economic activities has fallen dramatically by nearly 60 per cent during its reform period, a phenomenon that coincides with the ' Great Moderation' that occurred in most industrialized economies. We employ a provincial panel-data method to investigate the driving forces of the increasing macroeconomic stability in China. We examine the empirical relationship between output volatility and various economic, policy, institutional, and demographic factors. Our results suggest that the acceleration of reform toward the market economy, which began around 1994, generally leads to a widespread output volatility reduction across Chinese provinces. Both state-owned enterprise reform and human capital accumulation are important determinants of output volatility since the mid-1990s; they play an important role in explaining the provincial differences on volatility reduction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we first estimate firm-specific total factor productivities within 2-digit manufacturing industries using a semi-parametric algorithm and micro data for the period 2000-2007. Next, to characterize regional disparities in China we compute aggregate productivity by the categories of three regional typologies, based on population density, coastal-inland, and rural-urban criteria. We analyse the productivity differentials across the categories of the typologies by decomposing regional productivity level and growth into productivity effect and industry composition effect. We find clear evidence of regional convergence. Besides density of economic activity, recent policy and structural factors seem to affect regional productivity level and growth differentials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Copyright of Papers in Regional Science is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Despite Japan's prominence in global finance and trade through the 1980s, its global role has appeared to diminish with its recent stagnation and the rise of China. This article reviews the claimed sources of Japan's stagnation, including productivity and labour slowdowns, monetary policy in the aftermath of the Plaza Accord and the surge in China's growth. Their independent effects are quantified using a multi-region global dynamic model. The productivity slowdown emerges strongest however its exogeneity is questioned. The resulting losses are shown to have been severe for the Japanese but mild in other regions, disguised by the rise of China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China has developed ambitious bioenergy installation targets as part of its broader goals to increase its renewable energy-generating capacity and decarbonize its economy. A key target feedstock for bioenergy is the 800 million tonnes of agricultural residues that China produces each year. At present, the main financial incentive to support bioenergy generation from agricultural residues is a feed-in-tariff provided for bioenergy that is produced by units that take 80% or more of their feedstock energy from biomass. Although this policy has catalysed the construction of many bioenergy units, there are reports that these projects are experiencing serious financial and technical problems, leading to low operational efficiency and even closure. An alternative option for China's agricultural residues is cofiring with coal in existing power stations. However, this is currently unprofitable for power station operators, as cofiring is not eligible for financial assistance through the bioenergy feed-in-tariff. In the light of China's ambitious target to install 30 GW of bioenergy generation capacity by 2020, this study investigates the extent to which extension of the bioenergy feed-in-tariff to include cofiring could contribute towards this goal. The results suggest that 39% of China's straw energy resources are located within 50 km of a power station. Assuming cofiring ratios of up to 10% coal energy replacement, an annual 89-117 TWh of electricity could be generated by cofiring agricultural residues collected within 50 km radii of power stations. If China extends its bioenergy subsidies to include cofiring, an annual 62-92 TWh can be produced at an internal rate of return of 8% or more. This equates to 42-62% of the bioenergy generation that China might expect if it met its 2020 target of installing 30 GW of bioenergy capacity. Overall, this indicates a strong case for the Chinese government to extend its existing bioenergy feed-in-tariff to include cofiring at low energy replacement ratios. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We conjecture that a 'secondary services boom' is primarily responsible for the widespread nature of the gains in employment during Australia's recent 'China boom'. An economy-wide model provides numerical theory for constructing hypotheses, which are tested econometrically. Predictions that include a services expansion and de-industrialisation are tested against pre-boom data and out-of-sample simulations through the boom. The secondary services boom appears clearly in both income and employment, though the effects on manufacturing are ambiguous, with stronger-than-hypothesised observed performance, suggesting that changes in industrial structure and the composition of assistance have favoured surviving manufacturing firms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Overview: US on track but mounting uncertainty over China We forecast world GDP growth of 2.5% this year - down slightly from 2014 - before a pick-up to 2.9% in 2016 and just above 3% in 2017-18. Our 2015 forecast is slightly below last month's 2.6% (and down from 2.9% at the beginning of the year due to downgrades to our forecasts for China and the US)., The ongoing fall in commodity prices, with oil now below US$50pb, will keep inflationary pressures muted and mean that interest rates can remain low for even longer in many countries. This should boost consumption in most developed economies, but could further disrupt growth in commodity producers., But China is casting a major cloud over the global economy, denting regional and global trade and investment. We now think that Chinese growth could fall below 6% in 2016. Moreover, despite interest rate cuts, the risks in China are on the downside given the slide in the stock market and the strength of the CNY over the last year. The move to devalue the CNY in August suggests that growth may be weaker than reported, and be followed by further currency falls., The US economy remains a global growth engine, with growth set to accelerate to 2.7% in H2 and 2015 growth seen at 2.3%. Further progress in labor markets along with a gradual rebound in inflation will probably lead to a September rate hike., In the Eurozone, growth is expected to rise slowly as fears about a Grexit have eased (albeit there will inevitably be further tensions). This should mean that investment and exports (the latter helped by the weaker euro) can take over as main drivers of growth., Among the main emerging markets, Brazil and Russia are under even more pressure than China. Interest rates in Brazil were hiked again last month despite the economy being in recession, while in Russia the renewed slide in oil prices and ruble depreciation could halt interest rate cuts and may choke off hopes for a modest recovery next year., On balance, the most negative global risks have eased a little over the last month. But the problems in China and lower commodity prices mean world growth will rely more heavily on the developed economies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new wave of regional trade negotiations have sprung up in the Asia- Pacific region. China faces challenges and opportunities simultaneously. On the one hand, if China is excluded from major regional trade agreements, such as Trans-Pacific Partnership, it may hurt China's future growth. On the other hand, China can utilise the opportunities of regional trade negotiations to shape the new rules of international trade from the very early stage. Regional trade negotiations are also important for China because it needs further opening up to facilitate the domestic economic reform. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Loosely derived from Henry George's theory that land speculation creates boom-bust cycles, a real-assets model of economic crises is developed. In this model, land prices play a central role, and three hypothesized mechanisms are proposed by which swings of land prices affect the entire economy: construction on marginal sites, partial displacement of circulating capital by fixed capital investment, and the over-leveraging of bank assets. The crisis of 2008 is analyzed in these terms along with other examples of sudden economic contractions in U.S. history, recent European experience, and global examples over the past 20 years. Conditions in China in 2014 are examined and shown to indicate a likely recession in that country in 2015 because its banks are over-leveraged with large-scale, under-performing real estate loans. Finally, alternative methods of preventing similar crises in the future are explored. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An innovation-diffusion model was developed with agent-based modelling ( ABM); the model is used to study technical innovation and its diffusion process in China. The results are as follows: only a small fraction of firms conduct independent product-innovation, and most firms prefer imitation and/or purchases; most of the innovative firms are located in the East; approximately three or four technology generation products can exist in the market simultaneously; preferential policies can speed the process of innovation diffusion and improve economies of less developed areas, especially in Middle China; lastly, preferential policies can also improve the labour attractiveness of the Middle, West and Northeast and reduce emigration to the East. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Empirical research on the determinants of regional economic development typically neglects the influence of culture. This study fills that gap by attempting to establish a causal linkage between culture and economic development in the Chinese context. Our empirical analyses are based on a comprehensive economic statistics of China's provinces and prefectures during 1978 to 2008. We use Protestantism as a proxy for culture because Protestant ethic has been linked to the spirit of capitalism and commercial culture in Weber's famous work. To isolate the exogenous variation in culture measure, historical Protestant dissemination is employed as instruments. The estimation results suggest that Christian commercial culture has a significantly positive impact on economic performance - per capita GDP after other important influences (i.e., capital, population, human resources, institutional quality, trade, infrastructure, geography, etc.) are controlled for. We also find heterogeneous effects of culture on economic development in different regions of China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China's maturing economy raises questions as to the convergence of urban-economic spatial patterns with those in developed countries. Three major components of producer services - financial, information consultancy and computer services - indicate the development of advanced economic functions that drive growth. This research assesses producer services in Xi'an, the biggest city in Western China. Methods include ArcGIS analysis of the spatial layout of service sector companies and interviews with corporate managers. Highly agglomerated sectors display different spatial characteristics resulting from the interaction of market demand, urban planning and government policy directing the growth and place of these tertiary functions. Resumen. La economía China, en fase de maduración, plantea interrogantes en cuanto a la convergencia de los patrones espaciales urbano-económicos con los de los países desarrollados. Tres componentes principales de los servicios a la producción - financiamiento, consultorías de información y servicios de informática - sirven de indicadores del desarrollo de aquellas funciones económicas avanzadas que impulsan el crecimiento. Este estudio evalúa los servicios a la producción en Xi'an, la ciudad más grande de China Occidental. Los métodos incluyen el análisis mediante ArcGIS de la distribución espacial de las empresas del sector servicios y entrevistas con ejecutivos de empresas. Los sectores con una elevada aglomeración muestran diferentes características espaciales que resultan de la interacción de la demanda del mercado, la planificación urbana y las políticas gubernamentales para gestionar el crecimiento y la ubicación de estas funciones terciarias. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The authors discuss aspects 2008 global financial crisis in the perspective of the Chinese philosophical concept of Yin and Yang. They state that sustainable equilibrium in the global financial system will necessitate balance between healthy financial innovation and financial stability. The authors consider the changes in supply and demand balance in the local banking crisis as analogous to Ying and Yang forces changes.

The article presents an economic outlook for China as of April 2009. It cites the success of the government in increasing the supply of credit, which is shown by an increase in lending in 2009. According to the article, the outlook for consumption will depend on how well China's employment and wage income cope. It discusses several factors that contributed to a slowdown in gross domestic product (GDP) growth, which includes a build-up of excess capacity and a slowing in private sector investment.

The article presents economic forecasts on different countries for 2009. For the U.S., growth after the recession is expected to happen in the second quarter of 2009 and further cuts on federal funds rate by the Federal Reserve are foreseen. The Japanese gross domestic product (GDP) is forecasted to drop by 1.1% in 2009 and recover by 0.6% in 2010. Eurozone is expected to experience inflation particularly food price inflation. The economic activities and forecasts for emerging markets such as China, India, Argentina, and Czech Republic are also included.

This article investigates economies of scale and scope and other potential sources of improvements in the economic efficiency of China's crop breeding, an industry at the heart of the nation's food economy. Using data covering 46 wheat- and maize-breeding institutes from 1981 to 2000, we estimate cost functions for the production of new varieties at China's wheat- and maize-breeding institutes. Our results indicate strong economies of scale, along with small to moderate economies of scope related to the joint production of new wheat and maize varieties. Cost efficiency increases significantly with increases in the breeders' educational status and with increases in access to genetic materials from outside the institute. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China is the world's most populous nation (about 1.3 billion people, or one in five people on Earth), with the world's largest potential market. The purposes of this article are to report on available occupational safety and health (OSH) data from China, and analyze macro and micro causes of the OSH problems and offer some constructive macro and micro action steps. While the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome epidemic led to hundreds of occupation-related deaths and illnesses, the historical pattern of growing workplace fatalities has dimmed the glow of China's dynamic economic progress. There were 65,000 fatal industrial accidents in China between 1988 and 1992; the number skyrocketed to 13,385 in 1993 from 7,653 in 1991. A number of factors continue to affect current and future economic growth. There are macro and micro causes of China's problems in OSH. Among the macroeconomic causes are an authoritarian political-economic infrastructure and disrespect for law. The action steps at the microeconomic level include building responsible business competencies and empowering human resource leadership.