The effects of local govemment investment on economic growth and employment： evidence from transitional China

Based on the panel data of 28 provinces in the year of 1987-2001, this paper examines the effects of the local government investment on economic growth and employment. The empirical result shows that the local government investment plays a significant positive role in economic growth and employment. However, while the proportion of local government investment to GDP had a remarkable rise after 1998, the elasticity of local government investment on economic growth declined, which shows that there is a big room for raising the efficiency of local government investment. Moreover. the empirieal examination shows that although local government investment had positive effect on employment, the elasticity had a decrease after 1994 when the tax-sharing system reform was put into practice. This shows that the positive role of local government investment on employment is also limited This paper argues that the role of local governments as investors must be weakened, and local governments of different levels should lessen direct economic intervention and concentrate on public regulation.     

The Value of Clean Air in China： Evidence from Beijing and Shanghai

We estimate the willingness to pay （WTP） of Beijing and Shanghai residents for improving the air quality of the two cities from their levels prior to the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games to the level achieved during the Olympics. The data are obtained from a contingent valuation study conducted through face-to-face interviews in June 2008 in Beijing and Shanghai prior to the Beijing Olympics, during which time there was intensive debate about Beijing＇s air quality. Residents in both cities are willing to pay more when they are more exposed to air pollution, when their disposable income increases, and when they have stronger beliefs that public opinion plays an important role in government policy making. Beijing residents are willing to pay more than Shanghai residents, due possibly to Beijing＇s poorer air quality. Overall, aggregate WTP for air quality improvement accounts for about 0.53% of the 2008 GDP in Beijing and 0.22% of the 2008 GDP in Shanghai.     

The biodiversity problem in tea-production： the case of Fujian Province,China

Biodiversity is on important concept in ecology,ogriculture and also economics.This paper examines the biodiversity problem in tea-production of Fujian province,China,and tries to improve the biodiversity in Fujian tea industry by illustrating the problem and arousing the public concern about it ,which is the main contribution and the purpose of the problem in detail at first.In the next section it analyzes some factors which contribute to the problem,mainly including natural and historical reasons,economic reasons,institutional reasons and technological reasons.Then this paper tries to propose Some suggestions to solve or alleviate the biodiversity problem in Fujian tea-production from the point of government,academic field and the producers,as it needs the joint efforts of all those participants.Econometric analyses will be made when necessary with SPSS 11.0.     

Analysis on Spatial-temporal Characteristics of the Coordinated Development Degree between Regional Urbanization and Social Economy： A Case Study of Anhni Province

城市化与社会经济发展的协调性是可持续发展实践的核心问题之一。文章利用经济发展的数量参数统计方法和地理空间匹配分析工具对安徽省区域城市化与社会经济协调发展度的时空特征进行分析。结果表明：安徽省区域城市化水平整体落后于社会经济发展综合水平;在2000-2007年,多数地级市的城市化与社会经济发展综合指数及二者协调发展度呈下降趋势;地理空间匹配分析表明,17个地级市的协调发展度的空间分异规律明显。表现为中南部较西北部地区的城市经济协调性水平高。由此看出,安徽省区域城市与经济协调发展具有地域性分片块状的特点,研究结果与实际情况较为符合。     

The Research on Regional Public Management＇ s Evaluation Based on the Theory of DEA ： Date from the Pan- Pearl River Delta

将在理论经济学中应用的DEA理论推广到公共管理研究中,通过实证分析研究指出泛珠江三角洲区域公共管理中存在的优势及不足,为在中国整体区域推进公共管理能力提升提出了建设性意见。