Financial Market Turmoil： Implications for Monetary Policy Transmission in China

The recent financial market turmoil has initiated another search for insightful understanding of the interactions between the financial market and monetary policy. This paper explores these interactions in terms of the transmission mechanism of monetary policy in China. We argue that evolving financial development, enhanced by the expansion of the financial market, has altered the conventional channel for monetary transmission in China. Analyzing marked changes in the financial landscape and taking into account policy regime shifts in China, the paper provides clear evidence showing that the financial market has become a new and important channel for transmission of monetary policy in China.     

Rebalancing Growth in China：A Three-Handed Approach

I. Introduction On 21 July 2005 China began the process of rebalancing its economy. The new exchange rate rule will, over time, reduce the incentive to invest in the export sector. This is the right move for China because there are increasing signs that the economy has proceeded too far?2006 The Authors Journal compilation ?2006 Institute of World Economics and Politics, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences into manufacturing for export markets, to the point that the country’s capital sto…     

China＇s Exchange Rate and Financial Repression： The Conflicted Emergence of the RMB as an International Currency

Instability in the worm dollar standard, as most recently manifested in the US Federal Reserve＇s near-zero interest rate policy, has caused consternation in emerging markets with naturally higher interest rates. China has been provoked into speeding RMB ＂internationalization ＂; that is, opening up domestic financial markets to reduce its dependence on the US dollar for invoicing trade and making international payments. However, despite rapid percentage growth in offshore financial markets in RMB, the Chinese authorities are essentially trapped into maintaining exchange controls （reinforced by financial repression in domestic interest rates） to avoid an avalanche of foreign capital inflows that would threaten inflation and asset price bubbles by driving nominal interest rates on RMB assets down further. Because a floating （appreciating） exchange rate could attract even more hot money inflows, the People＇s Bank of China should focus on keeping the yuan/dollar rate stable so as to encourage naturally high wage increases to help balance China ＂s international competitiveness. However, further internationalization of the RMB, as with the proposed Shanghai pilot free trade zone, is best deferred until world interest rates rise to more normal levels.     

The Case for Stabilizing China＇s Exchange Rate： Setting the Stage for Fiscal Expansion

China＇s financial conundrum arises from two sources. First, its large saving （trade） surplus results in a currency mismatch because it is an immature creditor that cannot lend in its own currency. Instead, foreign currency claims （largely US dollars） build up within domestic financial institutions. Second, economists, both American and Chinese, mistakenly attribute the surpluses to an undervalued RMB. To placate the USA, the result was a gradual and predictable appreciation of the RMB against the dollar of 6 percent or more per year from July 2005 to July 2008. Together with the fall in US interest rates since mid-2007, this one- way bet in the foreign exchanges markets not only attracted hot money inflows but inhibited private capital outflows from financing China＇ s huge trade surplus. Therefore, the People＇s Bank of China had to intervene heavily to prevent the RMB from ratcheting upwards, and so became the country＇s sole international financial intermediary as official exchange reserves exploded Because of the currency mismatch, floating the RMB is neither feasible nor desirable, and a higher RMB would not reduce China＇ s trade surplus. Instead, monetary control and normal private-sector finance for the trade surplus require a return to a credibly fixed nominal RMB/USD rate similar to that which existed between 1995 and 2004. However, for any newly reset RMB/USD rate to be credible as a monetary anchor, foreign ＂China bashing＂ to get the RMB up must end. Then the stage would be set for fiscal expansion to both stimulate the economy and reduce its trade surplus.     

Strategic Asset Allocation for China＇s Foreign Reserves： A Copula Approach

In this paper, we study strategic asset allocation for China＇s foreign reserves using a risk- based approach. Four aspects of the risk management are investigated： an investment universe, dependence structure, allocation strategies under risk minimization and trade-off between risks and returns. A regime-switching copula model is developed to investigate the dynamic dependence between assets. One regime emphasizes a short-term safe asset and the other regime emphasizes a long-term safe asset. The optimal allocation is derived following two strategies： risk minimization and trade-off between risks and returns in utility maximization with disappointment avoidance, lf the central bank focuses solely on risk minimization, the asymmetries in the asset return dependence encourage the flight to safety. However, if higher risks are allowed in exchange for higher returns, even the exchange is very conservative, and the asymmetries would discourage the flight to safety. Therefore, we suggest that China should mitigate its flight to safety after 2008 and increase holdings of short-term bank deposits, long-term treasury bonds and euro bonds.     

Toward A Financial Architecture in East Asia： A Proposed Roadmap and China＇s Perspective

This paper provides with a proposed roadmap for strengthening financial architecture in East Asia. We discuss the goals, driving forces and obstacles in the short and medium run and correspondingly suggest possible steps that would be taken at different stages. A longterm vision is also briefly presented. The main points we have made are as follows. (1) An East Asia monetary union can be an ultimate long-term objective for the region. (2) In order to achieve this, we shall start with amending the current CMI mechanism and fostering the need of regional local currencies in trade and financial transactions through establishing regional bond market in the short-term. (3) A regional bond market with local currencies involved and a more stable exchange rate arrangement in a broader scope to emerge are likely in the medium term.     

Evolution of Financial Institutions in Post-1978 China： Interaction between the State and Market

I. IntroductionEconomy and finance have both seen rapid development in post-1978 China. After almost three decades of economic planning and isolation, political leaders decided then to let the economy move in a new direction by announcing a policy of “reform and opening-up”. Then and now, many people did and do believe that the new policy makes the economy increasingly and decisively based on the market. At the dawn of the 21st century, theChinese economy, by many indicators, stands out as…     

China＇s Economy in 2006/2007： Managing High Growth for Faster Structural Adjustment

China's economy in 2006 continued to register high growth of 10.5 to 10.7 percent with low inflation (CPI at 1.3 percent),dissipating fears of a hard landing. Since its accession to the WTO,China has become a significant global economic player,and is the favorite destination for many regional and global production networks. China is now a truly economic power (jingji daguo). China's economic leadership is also increasingly confident of its ability to manage China's domestic economic growth and its growing relations with the outside world. Although China's growth is expected to slow down in 2007 to approximately 9.5 percent,the national mood now is one of "more balanced" growth rather than "fast growth". Therefore,the building of a "harmonious society" is to be emphasized in China,while letting economic growth solve the burning social and environmental issues. In 2007,the government will also need to deal with various internal and external macroeconomic imbalances. The renminbi will be under even stronger pressure to revalue,given China's record trade surplus of US$160bn and foreign reserves of US$1tn.     

Financial Development, Economic Growth and Adaptive Efficiency： A Comparison between China and Pakistan

The strong economic growth in China is difficult to reconcile with its inefficient financial system. The puzzle of China＇s financial development and growth can be explained through a dynamic criterion of adaptive efficiency, rather than through allocative efficiency. Using the framework of an autoregressive distributed lag model, the present paper tests the hypothesis that the GDP growth rate is dependent on financial development along with other variables in China and Pakistan. The hypothesis cannot be rejected in both cases. However, the results show that economic growth has a negative relationship with credit to the private sector in China. We conclude that financial development is a source of China＇s high growth rate and that the banking system is still under an evolutionary process, involving the pursuit of social objectives instead of the sole objective of profit maximization. Our results provide some implications for other developing countries like Pakistan.     

Rural-urban Migration and Dynamics of Income Distribution in China： A Non-parametric Approach

Extending the income dynamics approach in Quah (2003), the present paper studies the enlarging income inequality in China over the past three decades from the viewpoint of rural–urban migration and economic transition. We establish non‐parametric estimations of rural and urban income distribution functions in China, and aggregate a population‐weighted, nationwide income distribution function taking into account rural–urban differences in technological progress and price indexes. We calculate 12 inequality indexes through non‐parametric estimation to overcome the biases in existing parametric estimation and, therefore, provide more accurate measurement of income inequality. Policy implications have been drawn based on our research.     

Impact of the Global Financial Crisis on China： Empirical Evidence and Policy Implications

This paper applies a structural vector autoregression analysis to quantify the impact of the global financial crisis on China. It is found that the impact is indeed sizeable： a 1-percent decline in economic growth in the USA, the EU and Japan is likely to lead to a0. 73-percent decline in growth in China. The article discusses whether the current measures of fiscal stimulus are adequate to offset the sharp decline in external demand Although there is little doubt that the massive fiscal stimulus will largely offset the significant shortfalls in external demand, the current growth pattern in China will be increasingly unsustainable in the long term. China ＂s reform cycles suggest that external shocks are often opportunities for structural reforms. Therefore, the crisis could also be a catulyst for rebalancing China ＇s economic structure so as to return the economy to a sustainable path.     

A Late Comer＇s Internationalization Strategy for Chinese Firms： A Theoretical Study

The purpose of the paper is to discuss the internationalization strategy of Chinese finns from a latecomer＇s perspective. First, this paper reviews five existing conceptual frameworks of foreign market entry mode for the internationalization of finns from developed countries. Then, this paper integrates the different factors considering in existing frameworks to a comprehensive framework. With this modified framework and Chinese finns＇ unique characteristics, some propositions are presented about the path and features of Chinese finns＇ internationalization based on the comprehensive framework discussed from a latecomer＇s perspective. This paper also discusses that the future studies on Chinese finns＇ internationalization strategy should attempt to increase the congruence between the theoretical and operational level, to clarify concepts and variables of the frameworks and the relationships among those variables.     

Political Economy of the Asia-Pacific Free Trade Area： A Dilemma for China

The Asia‐Pacific Free Trade Area (FTAAP) has become a topic of focus since the proposal was first raised in 2004. The present paper considers China's policy towards the FTAAP from a political economy perspective by probing the gains, impediments and concerns for China, and makes judgments based on several possible scenarios. The author argues that from an economic perspective, China would benefit from joining the FTAAP both in a static and a dynamic manner because both its main trade partners and trade barriers in export markets are concentrated in the Asia‐Pacific region. However, whether the Chinese Government is likely to support the initiative is largely dependent on certain crucial political and diplomatic elements, including the APEC approach, US‐Chinese relations, quality of treaty, sensitive sectors, competitive proposal of alternative and membership of Chinese Taipei. Therefore, if the Chinese Government cannot ratify the ideology and terms of the initiative, or issues that are central to China's interests are not addressed, the FTAAP will only remain a proposal possessing economic possibility in the long run, without political feasibility in the near term.     

Rise and Fall of the First Financial Futures Market in China： The Case of Chinese Government Bond Futures

This paper studies the rise and fall of the first financial futures market in China. We compare the characteristics in the Chinese Government bond futures market with those in the US T-bond futures market. They differ in market design and structure, market governance, margin requirements, position limits, delivery process, and the way in which the settlement price is calculated. Furthermore, with a unique dataset, we show that prior to maturities of government bond futures, traders began to accumulate significant amounts of long positions for several selected contracts without the intention to offset, forcing short position holders to either purchase deliverable bonds or offset futures at highly inflated prices, causing higher market volatility and price disequilibrium in both spot and futures markets. Arbitrage opportunity arises and the market eventually collapses. The lessons learned from the suspension of the Chinese Government bond futures market offer an invaluable learning experience.     

Budget Structure and Pollution Control： A Cross-country Analysis and Implications for China

In the published literature, the differences in environmental performance across countries are typically explained using the Environmental Kuznets Curve. The Environmental Kuznets Curve states that pollution initially increases with economic growth. Once GDP per capita reaches a certain level, the relationship reverses. In the present paper, we provide an alternative hypothesis, where budget structure plays an important role in explaining the variations in pollution across the world.＂ the lower the business-related taxes as a share of total tax revenue, the higher the property tax in total tax revenue and the higher the ratio of public health expenditure in total expenditure, then the stronger the incentive of pollution control and the lower the pollution level. Our empirical findings reveal that the budget structure does have an important impact on pollution control. The policy implication of this research is that effective control of environmental pollution requires changes in tax structure and expenditure assignment. This research has important policy implications for China ＂s tax system reform and pollution control efforts.     

Reform of Labor Policy in China：A Perspective of Political Economy

Ⅰ. IotroductionLike other related institutional arrangments in China,labor policy under the planned economic system re-sulted in two kinds of inefficiency. First, the inherentlack of labor supervision and lack of an incentivemechanism in the micro-management system led to lowtechnical efficiency. Second, the distorted allocation of     

Rural development through industrial clustering： A case study from China

In recent years, as cluster theory evolves and more countries and regions implement industrial stimulation policies rooted in cluster theory, empirical research on industry clusters has likewise gained momentum. With the spread of clusters and regions instituting cluster policies, cluster formation has come to be seen as a promising tool for regional development. However, compared with industrial clusters in general, rural development clusters exhibit a higher level of diversity, namely in the purposes behind their formation, the parties that participate in or operate them, and the conditions in which they are formed. In terms of China, there is a considerable degree of diversity in clusters related to agriculture and rural communities depending on the particular sub-sector, the leaders of the sector, the socioeconomic conditions of the particular region, and other factors. For this reason, rather than the clusters themselves, in this research, we focused on cluster initiatives （CI）, i.e. the efforts to facilitate regional cluster growth and competitiveness. Firstly, we conducted a brief survey of previous studies of clusters. Secondly, we analyzed the effects of industrial clustering on rural economy in China econometrically. Thirdly, we examined the cases of vegetable cluster in Shanghai and the naturally colored cotton and hops cluster in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region. By concluding the above-mentioned analysis, we finally explored the potential and outstanding issues for rural development using cluster initiatives models.     

关注国际贸易的新走向：碳关税问题研究

气候变化是近年来国际问题的焦点。一些经济学家和国际组织主张征收碳税,实现减少温室气体排放的目标。实践中,欧盟许多国家开始按照能源产品中的碳含量征收碳税。作为世界工厂,一方面,中国承受着巨大的“生态逆差”;另一方面,面对西方国家构筑的各种“绿色贸易壁垒”,中国企业在未来国际贸易竞争中的压力会越来越大。我国要积极应对西方发达国家的碳关税政策,促进资源优化配置,加快产业结构调整;同时,建立完善的对冲机制,避免碳关税对相关行业冲击过大,保护我国企业及行业在国际市场上的竞争力。