Plant Scale and Exchange‐Rate‐Induced Productivity Growth

This paper examines the impact of exchange rate movements on firm‐level productivity through changes in the scale of production. We employ plant‐level data to examine whether, and in what direction, exchange rate movements affect the scale of production, and how these changes in scale influence productivity. The paper finds that a real appreciation of the domestic currency reduces shipments and this negative effect is larger for exporters (both domestic and foreign owned). The paper also finds evidence that the appreciation‐induced reduction of scale negatively affects productivity at the plant level. This scale effect more than offsets any potential gains from the appreciation‐induced reduction in the price of imported inputs.     

The Selection of Distribution Channels in China

This contribution first traces the development of the distribution system in China from state monopoly to one which permits the limited participation of foreign ventures, and examines the problems faced by foreign investors in managing the distribution channels under such a transitional economy. Due to China's abundance of linguistic, cultural and economic differences, combined with growing territorialism at the provincial level, different problems may be encountered in different citieslregions, and therefore foreign investors need to modify their distribution strategies accordingly. Detailed case studies are provided as illustrations.     

Identification of technological structures using patent statistics

This paper studies the use of patent statistics in identifying four aspects of technological structure, namely, the potential knowledge pool, cumulativeness, inter-firm homogeneity in technology levels, and the scope of innovations. The firms are sampled from the chemical (CHEM), the computer (COM) and the electrical and electronic (EE) industries worldwide. Using the proxies defined, we find that (i) the contributions of intra-industry spillover are low, at 12%, 10%, and 9% for the three industries respectively; (ii) they can internalize 15%, 19% and 13% of their previous research efforts respectively; and (iii) a positive relationship between knowledge spillover and technology overlap, and between scope of innovation and number of patents being cited in future.     

FINANCIAL LIBERALIZATION AND ECONOMIC GROWTH: A THEORETICAL ANALYSIS OF THE TRANSFORMING CHINESE ECONOMY

Abstract. We conduct a theoretical investigation into how financial reforms are affecting the long‐run economic performance of the partially reformed Chinese economy. In a model with a dual structure in commodity production and financial repression, allowing the co‐existence of a state banking system and an informal credit market and introducing heterogeneity in the transaction technologies of individuals, we examine the interactions between the state banking system and the informal credit market, and the effects of various measures of financial liberalization on individuals’ optimal portfolio choices and the macroeconomic aggregates.     

How Labour Markets affect Trade Policies and Trade: The Case of the Foreign Labour Union

This paper highlights the point that the presence of a foreign union affects significantly the characterization of domestic trade policies, and thus, trade. Specifically, both the objective functions of the foreign union and the nature of interactions between the foreign firm and the foreign union are important determinants of the sign and magnitudes of the domestic trade policies. The importance of the foreign union effect holds regardless of whether the domestic trade policies are politically motivated or whether they are set to maximize national welfare. The foreign union effect is also present with or without a domestic producer.     

中国经济过热的趋势与风险分析

中国的经济一段时期以来表现非常强劲,国内消费正以每年9％的速度蓬勃稳步行进,受政府引导的基础设施投资的推动,固定资产投资比例很高,外国直接投资仍有相当规模,而非典的影响很小。面对对中国一片看好的积极观点,本文作者以中国国家统计局公布的数据,从中国的总体贸易情况及其银行贷款情况进行剖析,结合中国改革开放经济发展的历史,分析了中国目前正面临周期性的经济过热风险。中国经济的主要趋势有:中国的贸易顺差与前几年相比在迅速缩小,顺差主要是对美国,而对亚洲其他国家,中国皆为贸易逆差;在贸易顺差急剧下降的同时,外汇储备却暴涨,显示了中国资本项目的监管和控制系统存在着漏洞;此外,银行贷款剧增、无效投资呈上升迹象等等。面对这些问题,作者认为,中央管理当局很可能将开始控制银行借贷,从而导致经济适度放缓,同时指出,银行系统以及监管体系的改革已迫在眉睫。     

FACTOR ACCUMULATION AND THE TERMS OF TRADE: APPLICATIONS TO THE ASIAN FINANCIAL CRISIS

Abstract.  This paper investigates the effects of population growth and capital accumulation on trade and welfare. In the absence of a terms of trade effect, an population increase reduces the standard of living and causes a reduction in welfare. An increase in population causes deterioration in the terms of trade of a labour abundant country, whereas capital accumulation improves them, regardless of the source of growth. Moreover, an increase in the South's population is immiserizing.     

The Lead-Lag Relation Between Spot and Futures Markets Under Different Short-Selling Regimes

We examine the lead‐lag relation between index futures and the underlying index under three types of short‐selling restrictions on stocks in Hong Kong. Our results indicate that lifting short‐selling restrictions can enhance the informational efficiency of the stock market relative to the index futures. We also investigate the impact of two market characteristics, market conditions and the magnitude of mispricing on the lead‐lag relations under different short‐selling regimes. Our findings suggest that if we remove restrictions, the contemporaneous price relation between the futures and cash markets becomes stronger particularly in the falling market and when the cash market is relatively overpriced.     

Structure and Location of Innovative Activity in the Italian Economy, 1981–85

An ‘innovative activity matrix’ is established from a recent ISTAT/CNR survey of innovation. After specifying the particularities of an innovative activity matrix in comparison with other flow matrices, we show that it is asymmetrical and clustered in parts of economic space. The structure of the innovative activity matrix is similar to that of the domestic and import requirement but not the capital flow matrix. Strong correlations indicate the following: that input–output analysis is useful for identifying the location of innovative activities in economic space; that it can be analyzed in an economically meaningful way; that its location is structured; and that, furthermore, it is structured in ways which are statistically related to economic activity. The paper ends with suggestions for the examination of possible causal relationships.