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The Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) has garnered increasing attention since its inception in 2000. Correspondingly, there has been heightened interest in 'PISA poster countries' like Singapore and Shanghai-China. Yet to date, little is known about the processes and dynamics of the construction of PISA discourses within these 'poster countries'. This paper examines the Chinese print media's reception and interpretation of PISA. Using content analysis of media reportage in 2010, 2013 and 2016, the paper identifies core patterns and themes within the media-generated PISA discourses in China and traces changes in the media discourses over time. The findings shed light on a 'mediatisation' process where the Chinese media's interpretation of PISA gets shaped by culture-specific factors such as dominant political ideology, national aspirations, and histories. As such, PISA has acquired localised meanings in China and serves as an instrument to promote national development agenda and justify education reforms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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The existing liberal international economic order was constructed during the era of American hegemony and has been heavily shaped by US power. How is the rise of China affecting global economic governance? This article analyzes the case of export credit, which has long been considered a highly effective international regulatory regime and an important component of global trade governance. I show that the rise of China is profoundly altering the landscape of export credit and undermining its governance arrangements. State‐backed export credit is a key tool of China's development strategy, yet I argue that an explosion in China's use of export credit is eroding the efficacy of existing international rules intended to prevent a competitive spiral of state subsidization via export credit. The case of export credit highlights a fundamental tension between liberal institutions of global governance and the development objectives of emerging powers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper's main aim is to contribute to the debate on the impact of China's rise on the established norms and practices in the field of international development. To do so, it zooms in on a single infrastructure project, the Jakarta-Bandung high-speed rail line, which involved intense competition between China and Japan. Specifically, it examines how competition between China, a non-Western emerging power, and Japan, an OECD member, led to a recalibration of both China and Japan's approaches to infrastructure financing in the region. The findings suggest that rather than straight convergence or competition between diverging models, there is an ongoing process of two-way adjustment between China, and representatives of the dominant global norms and practices. We also argue that to understand the implications of China's participation in the field of international development, and its impact on the 'rules of the game' of global governance, researchers should avoid positioning inquiries within the premises of China's one-directional impact on the development assistance regime. Rather, it is necessary to take into account a complex set of relationships including China, host countries and other 'socialised' actors, and the process of negotiation between them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study demonstrates the value of using readily available Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD) indicators to estimate hotel occupancy trends in a particular territory (Hong Kong) drawing upon almost four decades of data (1972-2010). The indicators predict the economic climate at global, regional and national levels by providing comprehensive statistically based economic information. They should be of particular benefit for resource-constrained small and/or independent hotel operations for whom accurate occupancy predictions facilitate a more targeted approach to strategic investments. Using the OECD indicators offers hoteliers an alternative to acquiring expensive data and/or consultant inputs. The article shows the merit of OECD composite indicators generally and of the consumer confidence index in particular as publicly available and reliable data which can provide hoteliers with early signals about shifting demand. It contributes to tourism economics by demonstrating the merit of indices as a supplement to both established demand forecasts and as an input to hotel revenue management systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The re-emergence of China as a global economic power has intensified calls for the urgent reform of Western-dominated international organizations. We evaluate efforts by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) to adapt to the challenge of China. From the first decade of the 2000s, the OECD has undertaken reforms to boost its significance as a key policy actor in the global economy. Part of this effort involves bringing China closer to the organization. To date, only limited progress has been made. We set out three bold policy reforms the OECD could implement that would deepen the OECD’s relationship with China as well as with other emerging economies. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

China’s role as an emerging donor and its conceptualization of social policy in Africa has generated polarized reactions in the West. Many argue its ‘productivist’ approach is driven less by notions of citizenship and social rights, and more in terms of accumulation functions. Social investment is justified for broader economic development goals in contrast to current safety-net or ‘welfarist’ models of Western donors. While some international organizations perceive the Chinese approach as antithetical to Western goals and practice, others welcome it as an opportunity to develop new ideas about social development.This qualitative research explores to what extent and in which direction Chinese aid to Africa is influencing Western ideas about welfare policy in developing countries. The study comprises a systematic review of Sino-African and Western policy documents and in-depth interviews with senior Chinese, Western and African stakeholders. It investigates how social policy is conceptualized by those involved in Chinese aid to Africa, to what extent this differs from traditional Western approaches, and what it means for Western social development policy. The implications for understanding the drivers of global policy development and links between the economic and social dimensions of welfare are explored. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background : Previous studies have ignored the bidirectional causality and the heterogeneity of health level. This study explored the bidirectional causality between pharmaceutical expenditure (PE) and total health-care expenditure (Total HCE) considering the health level for effective health investment and national health improvement. Methods : Based on the panel data on PE and Total HCE in 32 OECD countries and China, the Granger causality test was applied. Countries were divided into low- and high-health-level (LH and HH) groups according to their life expectancies. Results : A 1% increase in the growth rate of per capita PE boosted a 0.11% increase in that of per capita Total HCE of the following year in HH group, whereas no such causality existed in LH group. A 1% increase in the growth rate of per capita Total HCE boosted a 0.46% increase in that of the per capita PE of the following year in LH group, whereas no such causality existed in HH group. Conclusion : High-health-level countries should continue to increase the health investment by promoting rational PE growth such as expanding insurance coverage for innovative medicine for health improvement. Low-health-level countries should take optimizing policy to increase health investment in pharmaceutical for medicine accessibility and national health.