Analysis of Impact of Urbanization on Environmental Quality in China

As a developing country with great regional disparities, China's rapid urbanization has had important impacts on environmental quality. In this study, the drivers‐mechanisms‐effects (DME) model is built, which shows how element agglomeration, scale growth, knowledge accumulation and industry evolution drive the environmental system to change during the urbanization process. An econometric regression model using provincial panel data is further constructed to empirically analyze the impacts of urbanization on environmental quality. It is shown that during the process of urbanization in China, element agglomeration and knowledge accumulation help to improve environmental quality but with weak positive effect, while growing urban scale and industrial structure have obvious negative effects on environmental quality. The “inverted‐U shape” (up first and then down) change in the environmental quality during China's urbanization process is obvious. It is critical that China concentrates on the transformations of both city development paths and urbanization models to reduce resource and environmental costs as much as possible.     

The Inequality of Regional Economic Development in China between 1991 and 2001

This paper measures the unequal development of the regional economies in China and investigates the primary factors leading to the inequality. The official data on China's regional GDP and the regional GDP of three industrial sectors from 1991–2001, as reported in the China Statistical Yearbook and A Statistical Survey of China, are adopted to calculate and decompose the Gini coefficient for each year. The primary finding is that the levels of inequality in China's regional economies clearly showed a slight upward trend after 1991. The inequality of the overall GDP is primarily attributed to the between-group effect rather than to the within-group effect. It is also found that the regional inequality of the secondary industry sector's development accounted for half of the overall inequality. Thus, this study suggests that it is crucial for China to formulate and adhere to policies that will help it to develop the economy more equally among all areas and to develop the secondary industry sector among all regions/provinces in order to overcome the important issue of the inequality in regional economic development.     

Effects of China's Structural Change on the Exports of East Asian Economies

The Chinese economy is slowing down and is in the midst of a structural transformation from export‐led and investment‐led growth to domestic demand‐led and consumption‐led growth. While there are widespread concerns among China's trading partners about the effect of the slowdown in China's growth on their exports, China's structural changes are also likely to have a significant impact: for example, China will import fewer machines and more cosmetics. The central objective of the present paper is to empirically examine the effect of China's structural transformation on the exports of East Asian economies, which have close trade linkages with China. We find that economies that have failed to increase the share of consumption goods in their exports to China have suffered larger declines in their quantities of exports to China. In addition, economies that have suffered losses in their shares of China's parts and components imports have faced reductions in their shares in China's total imports.     

Reorganization of Intra‐ASEAN 5 Trade Flows: The ‘China Factor’*

There are claims that China's influence on ASEAN is direct in that she has encouraged more exports to flow into her huge markets and changed trade flows among member countries. Demand and supply are thus deemed to have become more China‐centered. This study therefore explores the plausibility of China as a ‘factor’ that influences bilateral intra‐ASEAN 5 trade flows through demand (exporting country) and supply (importing country). The results imply that China's integration in the region increases the size of the key ASEAN member economies export market. There is also no indication that import sourcing from China by ASEAN 5 countries reduces export expansion within the latter. The results accord with the fact that although China has become an important export destination and an import source for individual ASEAN 5 countries, this has not reduced intra‐ASEAN 5 trade.     

Two sides of the same coin: The economic and environmental effects of China's international trade from a global value chain perspective

China's accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO) has led to rapid economic growth and international trade development. However, China is also challenged with a heavy environmental burden due to the massive carbon emissions transferred through trade. By splitting production activities into traditional trade and global value chain (GVC) activities, this paper uses an intercountry input-output (ICIO) framework to study the imbalances of the economic and environmental effects between China's imports and exports at different levels. We define the indices value added per embodied emission in imports and exports (VPM and VPX, respectively). Additionally, we find a large gap between China's VPM and VPX, primarily because developed economies gain much higher value added per embodied emission than China gained through exports in GVC activities. Then, we study how to narrow the gap between China's VPM and VPX. The application of multiplicative structural decomposition analysis (SDA) and the logarithmic mean Divisia index I (LMDI-I) approach reveals the total and bilateral-sectoral contributions of the driving factor effects to the changes in China's VPM and VPX. The results provide tailored implications for promoting the comprehensive economic and environmental benefits of China's imports and exports.     

橡胶装备制造与节能环保产业融合发展研究

近年来,中国装备制造业与节能环保产业基本实现了协调发展,国内生态环境不断得到改善.中国的橡胶装备制造业需要把握好"一带一路"框架下的全球化发展历史机遇,不断优化产业结构,夯实可持续发展的基础.与节能环保有关的面很广,对于橡胶装备制造企业来讲,应如何制订自己的节能环保业务发展规划,从内部价值提升和产业链拓展的角度就这一问题进行探讨.     

政府政绩追求与环境污染——基于空间面板的实证研究

随着环境污染的恶化,地方政府对于环境治理的激励逐渐受到各界的关注。利用中国30个省市2004—2013年间的二氧化硫排放强度为样本,以空间计量模型实证研究了政府政绩追求与环境污染之间的关系。研究结果表明：中国各省市二氧化硫排放强度在空间分布上具有显著的空间溢出效应,且这种空间溢出效应逐年增加;以政府财政收入、经济增长率、就业率为政府政绩考核的指标与环境污染之间存在着显著的正向关系。研究不仅为政府治理环境污染问题提供了有益的经验证据,也为中国地方政府制定更为完善的政绩考核标准提供了借鉴。     

多个大股东对企业环保投资的影响

企业作为环境治理的责任主体,其环保投资水平直接影响国家的可持续发展。而在企业的环保投资决策中,公司的治理结构发挥了关键作用。作为一种特殊的股权结构,多个大股东可能会影响企业环保投资。以2009—2020年中国A股上市公司为样本,对多个大股东股权结构与企业环保投资的关系进行检验。研究表明,多个大股东的股权结构会抑制企业环保投资规模,同时多个大股东越多、持股比例之和越高,越不利于企业进行环保投资。最后进行稳健性检验,结论仍然成立。对二者关系的分析可为多个大股东的股权结构与企业环保投资进一步的研究提供相关启示。     

基于DEA方法的企业环境行为评价指标研究

对企业进行环境信用评价是我国环境保护研究的重要内容。基于我国《企业环境信用评价办法（试行）》,针对目前企业环境评价方法过于主观的问题,创新性的运用数据包络分析（DEA）方法对企业环境行为进行了评价研究,系统构建了企业环境行为评价指标体系。并对海尔公司的相关数据进行了实证分析,得出该企业环境行为虽仍有波动但总体较好的状况,进而提出了相应的改进意见,为相关研究提供了理论依据和实践基础。     

Analysis on CO2 Emissions Transferred from Developed Economies to China through Trade

Based on a global input–output model, this paper investigates the CO₂ emission transfer between China and developed economies through trade. The results show that approximately 15–23 percent of China's production‐based emissions during 1995–2009 were induced by the production of goods and services satisfying final demand in developed economies. Decomposition of emission transfers shows that trade of intermediate products played a significant role in emission transfer from developed economies to China. Most developed economies have consumption‐based emission responsibilities that are higher than their production‐based responsibilities, whereas China's consumption‐based responsibility is significantly lower than its production‐based responsibility. We argue that a fair and efficient carbon accounting approach should take CO emission transfers from developed economies to developing economies into consideration. It is important that China and its developed trade partners cooperate in reducing emission transfers.     

Influence of International Openness on Corporate Environmental Performance in China

This paper examines how international openness influences China's corporate environmental performance. A unique firm‐level dataset is constructed by combining two databases: the Annual Industrial Survey and the China GreenWatch Program Rating System. The empirical results obtained from a series of ordered probit models indicate that openness has a positive relation to corporate environmental performance in China. However, the two main market‐opening strategies in China, exporting and attracting foreign investment, have different effects on environmental performance. The results reveal that foreign investment plays a substantial and positive role that can support the environmental spillovers in China. However, the effect of exporting is insignificant. The environmental pressure from foreign customers to improve Chinese firms' environmental performance presents a challenge. Our study indicates that China could make environmental quality improvements through increased international openness, as is likely the case for other developing countries.     

Distortions at the Border; Integration Inland: Assessing the Effect of WTO Accession on China's Agriculture

The main goal of the paper is to address the impact of the WTO on China's agricultural sector. To accomplish this goal we address two sets of issues. First, we seek to provide measures of the distortions in China's agricultural sector at a time prior to the nation's accession to WTO. This is accomplished by estimating the nominal rates of protection (NPRs) of the agricultural sector's major commodities using a new methodology to account for grain quality differences within China and between China and the world market. Second, we seek to assess how well integrated China's markets are in order to understand which areas of the country and which segments of the farming population will likely be isolated from, or affected by, the changes that WTO will bring. We find that NPRs differ among commodities. Some of China's agricultural commodities are well above and others are well below world market prices. We also find that if increased imports or exports affect China's domestic price at the border, its own domestic markets are mostly integrated so that price shifts in one area will affect prices in most of the rest of China. Our analysis finds, however, that a number of policy and structural factors limit the overall size of the shock.     

Competitiveness of China's Manufacturing Industry and its Impacts on the Neighbouring Countries

This paper investigates the rapid growth of China's share in the international commodity market and the structural changes of China's commodity exports. It demonstrates a significant improvement of international competitiveness in China's manufacturing sector. The panel data analysis, based on a Solow–Swan type growth model on China's 37 manufacturing industries from 1991 to 2002, reveals that the main sources of the strengthened competitiveness of China's manufacturing sector have been mainly from Total Factor Productivity (TFP), while labour productivity has been increasing and capital productivity has been falling. A preliminary empirical analysis on the impacts of China's increasing competitiveness finds that there are negative correlations between China and most of its neighbouring countries, both newly industrialised economies and other Southeast Asian developing economies. However, there is no evidence of negative impacts of China's increasing competitiveness on developed countries such as the United States and Japan.     

Openness and Economic Performance: A Comparative Study of China and the Asian NIEs

Being the world's largest developing economy, China's successful economic performance since 1978 has had a powerful impact on the global economy. Its open policy features an evolutionary process, involving the gradual liberalization of foreign exchange, international trade and foreign direct investments. This paper evaluates how this evolutionary process has contributed to China's economic success in comparison with the development experiences of the Asian newly industrialized economies (NIEs). It concludes that despite the economic crisis in 1997–98, China and the NIEs represent a successful development model, which is built upon openness and huge investments in physical and human capital.     

Responsibilities of China after Accession to the WTO

China became a full member of the WTO on 11 December 2001. China has not only increased its presence in mainstream world trade but has gained knowledge about the basic rules of market economies and become more adaptable to changes in the international economy. As a new member of the WTO, being adaptable to changes in the international economy is essential. As a large developing country, China, with its rapid economic growth, huge volume of trade and substantial market potential, has exerted and will continue to exert profound influence on the world economy. It is commonly recognized that China's influence cannot be ignored in the world economy. Five years since its accession to the WTO, China is considering where it stands as a member of the WTO. What does China hope to achieve by being a member of the WTO, how can these hopes be shared among all trading partners, what is China's responsibility in this, and what are the responsibilities of other trading partners?     

东道国基础设施质量对中国进出口贸易的影响——基于“一带一路”沿线51个国家的实证分析

基础设施建设是经济社会发展的重要支撑,对国家经贸关系进一步发展具有桥梁作用。基于“一带一路”沿线51个国家2011—2019年面板数据,构建拓展引力模型实证分析东道国基础设施质量分别对中国进口与出口的影响。研究发现：东道国基础设施质量会显著促进中国的进口与出口贸易,但对中国进口贸易促进作用强于出口,且东道国GDP增长促进了中国进口与出口贸易增加,其对中国进口贸易促进作用大于出口;而东道国与中国的地理距离对中国进口贸易限制作用大于出口,东道国与中国为邻国、与中国具有共同语言及签订自由贸易协定会推动中国对其进出口贸易增长。在此基础上,提出促进中国与沿线国家进出口贸易的对策建议。     

How will China shape the world economy?

We will provide an outlook for China's role in the world economy over the coming decades, an exercise which would not be possible without an analysis of the prospects for China's continued economic growth. Based on international and historical comparisons, we argue that today's China meets all three key conditions for continued economic growth, including a stable government that is supportive of a market economy; high and increasing quality of human capital, and openness to developed economies. Dependent on China's continued growth, we explore how China will impact many other economies through trade and investment, creating winners and losers in the world economy. Moreover, we argue that China will become a more active player in changing global economic governance not only through participating in reforms of existing institutions but also by leading efforts to establish new ones.     

Location Determinants of China's Outward Foreign Direct Investment

Compared to inward foreign direct investment, outward foreign direct investment (OFDI) from China is a relatively new phenomenon. However, the volume of China's OFDI increased rapidly from 2004. There has been an increasing amount of literature on the motivations of China's OFDI, but few studies have focused on its location determinants. The present paper aims to fill this gap in the literature by focusing on two important location factors, natural resources and technology, which are the most important determinants of China's OFDI. We use a large panel dataset comprising 132 countries over the period 1991–2009 and the Tobit as well as the Heckman models to establish the relationship between the two location factors and China's OFDI. The empirical results suggest that although China's OFDI has been driven by the country's desire for a secure supply of natural resources and to attain advanced technology from the developed world, China's technology is also a critical attraction for the host developing economies.     

Accounting and determinants analysis of China's provincial total factor productivity considering carbon emissions

One of the most undesirable output of China's rapid economic growth has been increasing carbon emissions. This study measures and analyzes the impact of carbon emissions on China's regional total factor productivity from 2000 to 2017. Using global Malmquist-Luenberger productivity indexes, we re-estimate the provincial total factor productivity taking carbon emission into account, comparing different assumptions of returns to scale and considering the rank reverse issue. The differences of technical progress and efficiency change across Chinese regional economies are also investigated and we found that the former was the primary contributor to improved Chinese provincial productivity performance. In addition, we analyze the influencing factors of productivity based on provincial panel data. Our results indicate that innovation capacity, energy and employment structure had significant impact on the provincial productivities while urbanization had a negative impact. A more sustainable development can be expected by expanding regional investment in R&D, adjusting and optimizing structures of regional industries and energies.     

Impacts of Market-based Environmental Regulation on Green Total Factor Energy Efficiency in China

This study employed a difference-in-differences design to assess the effect of market-based environmental regulation on green total factor energy efficiency (GTFEE) in a quasi-natural experiment that investigated China's carbon emissions trading scheme (ETS). The empirical results show that ETS had a positive effect on GTFEE. A series of robustness tests revealed that the results were robust. Potential mechanisms through which ETS can improve GTFEE include the promotion of technological innovation and the upgrading of industrial structure. The positive effects varied in different cities and different regions – the result was pronounced in eastern China and developed cities, but it was insignificant in central and western areas and developing cities. This study confirms the satisfactory performance of China's ETS in improving GTFEE, and this is relevant for other emerging countries.