Decomposing Income Inequality and Policy Implications in Rural China

Using village data from samples covering 6 provinces,36 counties and 216 townships,the income inequalities within and between townships in rural China are assessed. The Theil index and the mean logarithmic deviation methods enable us to test income inequality at the township level,and to decompose it into intra-regional and inter-regional at county and provincial levels. In the present paper,we also decompose income inequalities between and within the nationally designated poor counties (NDPC). The results show that approximately two-thirds of the income inequality in rural China would be eliminated if measures and policies were targeted at the county level. This study also confirms the rationale that China's poverty alleviation strategy of focusing on poor counties based on the inequalities between NDPC and non-NDPC accounts for the most inter-province inequality.     

Income and Price Elasticities of China＇s Exports

The appearance of new product varieties and improvements in the quality of goods have both played key roles in the rapid growth of China's exports. However, these two important elements have not been formally integrated into the demand equations for China's exports. As we demonstrate in this paper, income elasticity will be underestimated if new varieties of goods and quality improvements are omitted in price index and quantity index calculations, which are necessary for estimating the export demand function. Moreover, the faster new product varieties enter export markets, the greater the underestimation will be. In this paper, we develop an export demand equation that takes into account new product varieties and improvements in quality, and then calculate the demand function for China's exports using the data from 1992 to 2006. According to our estimation, the short‐term income elasticity of demand for China's exports is approximately 2.34, and the short‐term price elasticity is approximately –0.65. Our estimation predicts an increase in China's export value in the case of an RMB appreciation or export rebate rates reduction in the short term, due to the low price elasticity of China's exports, whose absolute value is less than 1. Our findings are novel and could have significant policy implications.     

China＇s Regional Disparity and Its Policy Responses

The fruits of China＇s rapid economic development over the 3 decades have not been distributed fairly across different regions. Using data from a sample of 815 Chinese listed firrns during 1998-2004, our error-correction investment model showes evidence of different financial constraints on firms＇ investment in different regions. We argue that China＇s regional development policies have contributed greatly to the regional inequalities. To control the rising inequality, China has shifted its focus from the coast to the interior regions. However, it is becoming increasingly difficult for the government to direct the economy, as market mechanisms now have afar greater influence on the economy than the government does. The people-centered approach of the current leadership has meant that substantial attention has been placed on regional development disparities in an attempt to build a ＂harmonious society. ＂ China needs further extensive reforms if all the measures for reducing regional disparity are to be effective.     

China＇s Labor Transition and the Future of China＇s Rural Wages and Employment

This paper contributes to the assessment of China＇s rural labor markets. According to our data, the increase in off-farm employment that China experienced during the 1980s and 1990s continued during the 2000s. Our analysis shows that migration has become the most prevalent off-farm activity, although the destination of migrants is shifting from outside of one＇s province to destinations closer to home. The present paperfinds that large shares of male and female individuals, especially those under 40 years, are working off the farm. These findings represent an important contribution to the labor economics field. First, the results of the present paper reveal that the labor transition from the agricultural sector to the non-agricultural sector for key segments of China＇s rural labor force is nearly complete. Second, although a large share of China ＂s rural labor force work in agriculture, most of these workers are older men and women （and likely would not be willing to take low-wage, labor-intensive jobs）. Third, the rising unskilled wage rate in China is partially a result of the tightening of the labor force in the young age cohorts. Finally, due to factors associated with the one child policy and other demographic transition forces, successive age cohorts will continue to fall in absolute number in the coming decade. Assuming China＇s growth continues, we expect to see further wage increases since it will take higher wages to coax more workers to work off the farm.     

China＇s Pattern of Growth： Moving to Sustainability and Reducing Inequality

I. Introduction China’s gross domestic product (GDP) growth has averaged 9.4 percent per annum since1978. As a result of this impressive growth, millions of people were lifted out of poverty. Economic reforms implemented over the last 25 years have certainly been instrumental in the remarkable growth performance, leading to higher productivity growth than in the pre- reform period. Nevertheless, it is widely agreed that China’s growth during this period has been resource intensive, drawing…     

China＇s Foreign Trade： Achievements,Determinants and Future Policy Challenges

Over the past twenty-five years, China‘s foreign trade has achieved great success. The main determinants behind this success include market-oriented reform, appropriate trade and exchange rate policies, and the active participation of foreign-invested enterprises. However, China is far from completing the transition in trade structure, and is facing many difficult policy challenges in maintaining its export momentum into the future.     

Policy Options for China＇s Bio-ethanol Development and the Implications for Its Agricultural Economy

The present paper analyzes the potential impacts of bio-ethanol expansion on agricultural production, food prices and farmers＇ incomes in different regions of China. The results show that increase in demand for feedstock to produce bio-ethanol will lead to large increase in the prices of agricultural products. The increase in prices will trigger a significant rise in the production of feedstock at the cost of lower rice and wheat production. The study also reveals that the impacts of bio-ethanol on farmers＂ incomes vary largely among regions and farmer groups. Given the expected expansion of bio-ethanol production in the future, and the limited land resources for feedstock production in China, the viability of different crops as feedstock for bio-ethanol requires careful analysis before a large-scale expansion of China＇s bio-ethanol program. Bio-ethanol production in China should be relying more on the second generation of bio-ethanol technologies （i.e. using celluloses to produce bio-ethanol）, and China＇s government should increase research investment in this field.     

The Reform of China＇s Rural Land System

This paper discusses the reform of China‘s rural land system in the past more than 20 years. It reviews the course of China‘s rural land system reform since 1978 and the enormous contribution that the household contract responsibility system made to China‘s agricultural and rural development. Then it summarizes the current situation and existing problems in China‘s rural land system. Finally, it offers some policy suggestions on how to perfect the rural land system.     

海外学者关于中国收入和财富分配不平等问题的研究综述

文章首先分析了海外学者关于中国收入和财富分配不平等问题研究的观点;其次,分析了海外学者对改革与分配相关问题研究的方法与特点;最后在研究的基础上结合我国实际并提出相关的建议。     

中国农村收入不平等—基于微观调查数据的回归分解

论文利用2003-2008年CGSS的微观个体调查数据,运用回归分解方法对中国农村收入不平等进行分解。首先对收入不平等进行测算,研究发现农村收入极端不平等,并且呈上升趋势。回归分解结果表明,年龄、教育、性别、东部地区虚拟变量、政治地位、婚姻、健康和幸福感是对农村收入不平等的决定要素。其中教育、年龄、性别、东部地区虚拟变量和健康对农村收入不平等的贡献显著。其余变量对农村收入不平等的贡献相对较小,但其对农村收入不平等的影响也不能被忽视。研究结论对政府制定科学合理的收入分配政策和有效调控收入差距具有借鉴作用。     

农户的种粮行为与政策需求--对粮食主产区6县市300多个农户的调查分析

基于粮食主产区农户个案调查资料,分析农户种粮行为与政策需求之间的关系,可以发现农民在进行粮食生产决策时,劳动投入、资金投入、利润回报一般是最先考虑的因素。不过,传统观念、耕作习惯、处理信息的成本等因素导致的近似理性行为也对农户生产决策产生不可忽视的影响。农户对支农政策是欢迎的,但不应过高估计政策在激励农民种粮积极性方面的作用。加强主产区粮食生产能力建设需要稳定政策和搞好服务。     

就业选择对区域间农民收入差异的影响：江苏的证据

江苏省农村居民家庭收入差距具有区域差异性、农业贡献递减性和工资性来源主导性等基本特征。就业选择对收入区域差异影响的分析表明,劳动力产业转移的收入效应单调递增,不同劳动力转移模式的收入效应各异,行业技术密集度的收入效应为正。缩小农村居民收入差距应发展县域经济,推动农村劳动力最大限度地向非农产业转移;细化劳动力市场,提高农村劳动力就业层次;拓展人力资本投资渠道,提升就业稳定性和收入水平:加大政府引导干预力度,完善农村劳动力就业的外部环境。     

信贷支持新疆粮食生产存在的问题及对策

及时足额的信贷支持可确保农民有足够的资金购买农资并大幅度降低农民的利息负担,从而提高种粮农民的效益促进种粮积极性,但由于缺乏抵押、担保途径;农村金融供给缺乏;信用社贷款期限与粮食生产周期不匹配的问题制约着新疆金融机构信贷支持功能的实现。对此,文章提出“加大对农信社的支持力度、充分发挥农发行的作用、增加涉粮贷款种类、完善农村金融体系、鼓励邮政储蓄开展涉粮贷款、拓展抵押担保”的相应对策。     

城镇居民收入差距的形成与趋势

对我国城镇居民收入差距形成的分析表明,第一产业增加值、失业率等是影响我国城镇居民收入的显著因素。并且,从这些因素的变动趋势判断,我国城镇居民收入差距仍将会进一步扩大。因此,扩大就业渠道、大力普及教育、深化分配制度、完善社会保障体系等是控制我国城镇居民收入差距扩大的有效措施。     

农业补贴政策影响及调整方向研究

本文深入研究了农业补贴政策对粮食供给总量安全、粮食供给结构安全以及农户总收入水平的影响效果。基于构建的农业DSGE模型,从宏微观结合的多方位视角考察了多种农业补贴政策以及政府一般性服务支持政策对农业生产要素资本积累水平、农户投入行为决策、农业生产力水平以及农户总收入的影响效果和传导路径,并在此基础上结合宏观经济数据的真实反馈分析,全面考察了核心经济变量在农业补贴政策实施期间的真实影响效果。研究结果显示：（1）农业补贴政策能够有效刺激农户对农业生产要素投入水平的提高,深层激发和释放了农业生产力;（2）农业补贴政策能够有效保证农户基本经营收入水平,并显著增加农户可支配转移净收入水平,对保障农户基本总收入起重要作用;（3）最低收购价和临时收储等托市价格政策会刺激农产品价格呈现上升趋势,并不利于农业种植结构不平衡的调节。     

收入差异与环境质量关系效应:一个文献综述

作为对环境库兹涅茨曲线的延伸和修正,收入不平等对环境质量的作用引起学者关注,形成了两种不同的观点:收入不平等不利于环境质量的改善,或是影响效应不确定。因具体国情不同,收入不平等对环境质量的作用机制和途径存在较大差异,这是理论与实证结果未达到统一的原因之一。