Mix of Fiscal and Monetary Policy Rules and Inflation Dynamics in China

The present paper examines the role of the mix of fiscal and monetary policy rules in determining inflation dynamics using fiscal and monetary policy reaction functions and Markov‐switching vector autoregression methods based on quarterly data in the period 1992–2007. Our results show that fiscal and monetary policies in China can be adequately described using some simple rules, and that significant regime shifts took place around 1998. Fiscal policy tended to be active and countercyclical in the pre‐1998 period, then switched to be passive and more countercyclical, whereas monetary policy was characterized as passive and procyclical in the pre‐1998 period, and switched to be active and countercyclical afterwards. The mix of fiscal and monetary policy rules can explain inflation dynamics better than the monetary policy rule alone. Therefore, price stability requires not only appropriate monetary policy but also appropriate fiscal policy.     

House Prices and the Stance of Monetary Policy: The Case of Korea

Abstract

This paper is an empirical investigation on whether the Bank of Korea should respond to the housing price developments in conducting monetary policy. For that aim, we construct a small scale empirical model of the Korean economy, simulate the estimated model with a set of alternative monetary policy rules, and compare the stabilization performances of those rules. There turns out to be ample room for further stabilization of inflation and output, if the central bank shifts from the historically conducted monetary policy rule to the optimal rule. The stabilization gains under the optimal rule, however, are not attributable to additional policy indicators (such as housing price inflation) the optimal rule involves. Rather, the optimal rule improves upon the historical one because the former takes a quite different reaction scheme toward the historical policy indicators. Moreover, as long as the Bank of Korea maintains appropriate reactions to the historical policy indicators, housing price inflation does not contain much extra information for further stabilization     

Asset Prices, Monetary Policy and Macroeconomic Stability

This article discusses the role of asset prices in the conduct of monetary policy when the ultimate goal is to maintain price stability and limit fluctuations in real income. It is argued that judicious interpretation of asset price movements can provide information about the risks of future macroeconomic imbalances, and that this information should be utilized in monetary policy decisions. Simulations results from both theoretical and empirical models support the conceptual argument. It is stressed that policy reactions to asset prices must not follow a mechanical rule, since the appropriate response depends on the underlying shock.     

INTERNATIONAL LESSONS FOR THE PROPERTY PRICE BOOM IN SOUTH AFRICA

South Africa appears to share some of the characteristics (property price boom, easing of monetary policy, strong domestic demand growth) of asset price booms in industrial countries that were followed by a period of weak growth. The international experience suggests that a number of practical obstacles need to be overcome before a more proactive role for monetary policy is warranted. However, a larger variety of available mortgage contracts, including longer‐term fixed‐rate contracts, should allow for a more efficient allocation of interest rate risks. Also, a more systematic nationwide collection of property price data, including data on commercial property price developments, would provide a more representative basis for analysis.     

基于金融稳定目标的规则型货币政策研究

随着货币政策与金融稳定之间联系的不断深化，中央银行理应在防范金融市场系统性风险中发挥重要的作用。文章首先构建我国金融稳定指数，并将其加入线性货币政策规则，研究结果表明，中央银行在调整名义利率时的确对金融稳定状况有所关注，相比于传统泰勒规则，纳入金融稳定指数的泰勒规则中通胀系数与产出缺口系数均有显著改善，其能够更好地拟合中央银行的实际政策操作。随后，为了进一步考察货币当局对名义利率调整的动态变化特征，文章通过TVP-SV-VAR模型对拓展的时变参数泰勒规则进行了再估计。研究发现，随着经济周期和金融形势的更迭，中央银行也会不断动态调整其政策目标。其中，货币政策对通货膨胀的调控不存在明显的惰性区域，控制通胀始终是中央银行工作的重心。其次，中央银行存在规避经济收缩的偏好，在经济下行时期其对货币政策的调整会向产出缺口倾斜。最后，为了抑制金融机构的过度风险承担，货币当局在本次金融危机之后显著增强了对于金融稳定的关注。     

论货币政策和资产价格的关系

一国的货币政策是否应当高度关注资产价格,关键取决于证券市场在其经济体系中所占的地位和所起的作用.如果证券市场在该国的经济体系中占据着重要地位,资产价格的变化对该国的经济运行会产生重要的影响,那么,货币政策就应当高度地关注资产价格.否则,货币政策就不应当高度地关注资产价格.     

On Determinacy and Learnability in a New Keynesian Model with Unemployment

We analyse determinacy and stability under learning (E‐stability) of rational expectations equilibria in a new Keynesian model of inflation and unemployment, where labour market frictions due to costs of hiring workers play an important role. We derive results for alternative specifications of monetary policy rules and alternative values of hiring costs as a percentage of gross domestic product. We find that in general the region of indeterminacy and E‐instability in the policy space increases with hiring costs. Thus, higher hiring costs – consistent with European and South African “sclerotic” labour market institutions – seem to play an important part in explaining inflation and unemployment instability. Moreover, under lagged data‐based rules, the area where monetary policy delivers both determinacy and E‐stability shrinks. These rules also perform worse according to these two dimensions when hiring costs go up. Finally, under expectations‐based rules an additional explosive region is introduced. For South Africa, a rule based on current data – not unlike the original Taylor rule – works better than a forward‐looking rule.     

DSGE模型框架下我国货币政策规则的比较分析

货币政策规则是中央银行为了保持通货膨胀和产出稳定并使经济更快发展所使用的货币政策的指导原则。目前,通行于各个国家的货币政策规则主要有利率规则和货币供应量规则。过去一段时间以来,西方发达国家都已逐渐从货币供应量规则过渡到利率规则,而在我国不管是应用方面还是理论研究方面,对于哪一个货币政策规则更适合我国始终都还没有定论。因此,本文试图在DSGE模型的框架下,对我国的货币政策规则进行比较分析。结果得出,相比于货币供应量规则,利率规则下:(1)货币政策更有效;(2)技术冲击所引起的通货膨胀和产出波动更小;(3)技术冲击对通货膨胀和产出的影响更短暂。因此,研究得出,我国更适合使用利率的货币政策规则。     

The Optimal Monetary and Macroprudential Policies for the South African Economy

We investigate the optimal design and effectiveness of monetary and macroprudential policies in promoting macroeconomic (price) and financial stability for the South African economy. We develop a New Keynesian dynamic stochastic general equilibrium model featuring a housing market, a banking sector and the role of macroprudential and monetary policies. Based on the parameter estimates from the estimation, we conduct an optimal rule analysis and an efficient policy frontier analysis, and compare the dynamics of the model under different policy regimes. We find that a policy regime that combines a standard monetary policy rule and a macroprudential policy rule delivers a more stable economic system with price and financial stability. A policy regime that combines an augmented monetary policy (policy rate reacts to financial conditions) with macroprudential policy is better at attenuating the effects of financial shocks, but at a much higher cost of price instability. Our findings suggest that monetary policy should focus solely on its primary objective of price stability and let macroprudential policy facilitate financial stability on its own.     

资产价格在货币政策传导中的作用

文章对资产价格在货币政策传导中的作用进行实证研究，结果表明，我国同时存在着从中央银行到资产价格的高效传导和从资产价格到实体经济的低效传导，资产价格的波动损害了货币政策的传导效率以及金融体系的稳定性。在这种情况下，我国中央银行不应把资产价格纳入货币政策的最终目标，而应适时和适度地对资产价格作出反应。     

货币政策预防资产价格泡沫的局限性分析——以日本20世纪90年代初的资产价格泡沫为例

2007年美国＂次贷＂危机爆发后,关于货币政策是否能够预防资产价格泡沫的争论开始兴起。文章主要就日本20世纪90年代初资产价格泡的形成、膨胀直至破灭三个阶段,具体阐述了日本央行货币政策措施与资产价格泡沫的相关性。结论表明,一方面日本央行的不当货币政策与资产价格泡沫紧密相关,另一方面货币政策又不能有效预防问题的出现,因此央行在完善对物价水平监测的同时,应利用金融监管政策来应对资产价格泡沫。     

我国货币政策资产价格传导机制的实证研究

本文将货币政策的资产价格传导机制划分成货币政策传导到资产价格和资产价格传导到实体经济两个环节,主要关注货币政策、实体经济以及最终目标三个层面的变量,细分股票价格传导和房地产价格传导两条路径,分别建立了具有系数约束的向量误差修正（VEC）模型,检验我国货币政策通过资产价格渠道传导的有效性。在此分析结果的基础上,指出当前我国货币政策不应以资产价格为目标,中介目标应由货币供应量向利率转变,并且对疏通股票市场和房地产市场传导渠道提出了相应的政策建议。     

The Performance of Simple Fiscal Policy Rules in Monetary Union

The paper analyses the stabilising potential of simple fiscal policy rules for a small open economy in monetary union in a 2-region DSGE model with nominal and real rigidities. We consider simple fiscal instrument rules for government purchases, transfers, and consumption, labour and capital taxes in analogy to interest rate rules in monetary policy. The paper finds a dichotomy in the welfare effects of fiscal policy for liquidity-constrained and intertemporal optimising households, i.e. policies enhancing the welfare of one group tend to reduce the welfare of the other one. The moderate average welfare gains from optimal policy contrast with potentially large welfare losses from non-optimal policy. Fiscal rules that respond to employment fluctuations may be preferred to fiscal rules responding to indicators of price competitiveness, because optimal policy corresponds more closely to the idea of countercyclical stabilisation in the former case. The simulations also emphasise the crucial impact of the budgetary closure rule on the welfare consequences of fiscal business-cycle stabilisation.     

On the choice of monetary policy rules for China: A Bayesian DSGE approach

Motivated by the institutional features of China's monetary policy, this paper aims at identifying the most data favored monetary policy rule for China within a dynamic stochastic general equilibrium (DSGE) model framework. In a canonical New-Keynesian DSGE model, we carry out a positive analysis by employing Bayesian methods to estimate three main categories of monetary policy rules, namely a Taylor-type interest rate rule, a money growth rule and an expanded Taylor rule with money. Based on China's quarterly data from 1996Q2 to 2015Q4, our estimation shows that the expanded Taylor rule obtains the best empirical fit to the data. Moreover, impulse responses and forecast error variance decompositions demonstrate that monetary policy rules with or without money provide very different implications for the policy behavior. Our results ultimately suggest that money has so far been more closely targeted than nominal interest rate and still plays an important role as a monetary policy target in China. Furthermore, a conventional Taylor-type interest rate rule is not good enough yet to describe China's monetary policy behavior.     

Monetary Policy and Corporate Investment： Evidence from Chinese Micro Data

This paper investigates how a firm's characteristics restrict the influence of monetary policy changes on its investment behavior. Focusing on China's listed companies for a sample period from the first quarter of 2002 to the first quarter of 2011, we find that quantity‐oriented and price‐based monetary policies have heterogeneous impacts on corporate investment behavior, but the influence of monetary policies is constrained by the liquidity, inventory, size and asset–liability ratio of a firm. Firms with higher liquidity, lower inventory level and lower asset–liability ratios are less sensitive to the impact from two kinds of monetary policies. The larger the size of the firm, the less it is subject to influence from quantity‐oriented monetary policy; it responds more to price‐based monetary policy. The policy implication is that the monetary authorities should pay attention to the importance of policy‐making based on the monetary demand of microeconomic entities.     

Money and price relationship in China

This paper investigates the effectiveness monetary policy by Granger causality tests in the two regimes of inflation and deflation, respectively. The surplus lag rolling estimation is applied to deal with the problem of the frequent structural changes in the Chinese monetary system. We found that the monetary policies have become less effective in stabilizing the price level in the deflation era that started from 1998. There is also empirical evidence to suggest that money was endogenous in China during the inflation period. This implies that the People's Bank of China had difficulty exercising the power of money supply to reduce inflation if the endogeneity was the result of the market behaviour. However, if the endogeneity was due to the government inflation-targeting rule, then there is no evidence to suggest that this rule has been effective for M0, M1 and M2 instruments, except for the M0 instrument during the inflation period of April 1990 to March 1995. Although it was found that money ceased to be endogenous in the deflation periods, it does not support the proposal of utilizing the money supply as a policy instrument, as we found that money is impotent in influencing price in the deflation regime. Our findings provide some empirical evidence to support the Chinese government adopting alternative policy instruments such as an active fiscal policy in the era of deflation.     

Assessing the performance of inflation targeting in East Asian economies

This paper examines the implementation and performance of inflation targeting (IT) in four East Asian emerging market economies: Indonesia, Korea, the Philippines, and Thailand. It also examines monetary policy in Malaysia, a country that has not adopted IT. The study estimates policy reaction functions to test the links between the adoption of IT and use of a monetary policy rule. The impulse responses of prices to a monetary policy shock are also estimated to identify monetary policy impacts on prices. The findings on the monetary policies of the five economies can be summarised as follows. Korea has taken an inflation‐responsive and forward‐looking policy stance under inflation targeting, which has had an effect on the stability of prices. Indonesia and Thailand have conducted inflation‐responsive but backward‐looking policy stances, which have had no impact in terms of price stabilisation. The Philippines (which adopted IT but under a pegged exchange rate regime) and Malaysia have neither followed inflation‐responsive rules nor had policy impacts in terms of controlling inflation.     

Optimal Monetary Policy in China

Using the structural vector autoregression model, we estimate the current responses of monetary policy to contemporaneous shocks from macroeconomic variables. Our findings indicate that the People's Bank of China responded to inflation and output changes, but did not react to asset price fluctuations during the period from January 1997 to March 2010. The optimal monetary responses to exogenous shocks are also examined. It is revealed that using asset prices to formulate monetary policy would not help to improve monetary authorities' performance in lowering the volatilities of output growth and inflation while keeping output growth and inflation in their safety zones. The effectiveness of monetary policy and fiscal policy in reacting to external shocks is also discussed.     

后危机时代美国货币政策的走势——兼论资产价格与货币政策操作规则

次贷危机使人们认识到,美联储货币政策操作失误难辞其咎。在全球化日益加深和美元为核心的国际货币体系下,美国不断下调利率的扩张性货币政策效应没有像过去那样迅速反映在商品价格上,而是主要表现为资产价格的攀升。由于美联储货币政策操作遵循了"泰勒规则"——把CPI当作最主要的监控对象,致使美联储错过了适时调整货币政策最佳的时机,导致美国信用扩张过度、资产泡沫,特别是房产泡沫不断升级。资产价格的上升最终会通过"财富效应"、"托宾q效应"、"金融加速器效应"等逐渐传导到商品价格上,随着石油等大宗商品价格的持续攀升,美联储开始急速提高利率,最终引发了次贷危机的爆发。后危机时代,美国的资产价格开始了迅速的回升,美联储应该吸取货币政策调整滞后的教训,适时地退出刺激,避免资产价格迅速上升和通货膨胀对经济复苏带来的不利影响。     

我国前瞻性货币供给规则与宏观经济的稳定我国前瞻性货币供给规则与宏观经济的稳定性——拓展的MIU模型与中国经验

国内研究货币规则的文献大多依据＂损失函数最小化＂标准获得货币政策工具的决策准则,而鲜有从一般均衡模型不动点性质的角度评析我国货币政策规则的文章。本文将一个适用于我国转型时期的货币量规则引入一般均衡的MIU模型,拓展了传统的固定货币增长率的货币经济学模型。文章发现：消费者微观偏好和央行货币政策参数会对宏观经济系统的稳定性产生影响。数据分析显示：我国经济系统获致的不动点为鞍点,即存在一条稳定的轨迹使经济系统收敛于均衡状态。文章建议,货币政策部门密切关注居民微观行为演进和央行货币规则微调对经济系统动态特性产生的影响。

Abstract：

Most domestic literatures on monetary rules are based upon the standard of ＂loss function minimization＂ to get access to the decision-making guidelines regarding monetary policy tools.While,little article looks the problem concerning the assessment of China＇s monetary policy rule from the angle of fixed point nature in the general equilibrium model.This paper introduces a monetary policy rule compatible with our transitional reform period into a general equilibrium MIU model,which is extended from the traditional fixed-money-growth-rate model.This article argues that：micro-parameters of Consumer preferences and the central bank＇s monetary policy have great impact on macroeconomic stability.Further-more,we put forward three testable propositions.According to macro-level data from China,we find that：Our economic system has a saddle-point equilibria,that is to say,there exists a stable trajectory that the economy will converge to this equilibria.The paper suggests that our monetary policy-makers should pay close attention to the micro—behavior evolution of our residents and the monetary regime changes,which will have significant impact on the dynamic characteristics of our economy.