The Mechanism of the Middle Income Trap and the Potential Factors Influencing China＇s Economic Growth

Data from WDI show that developing countries are easily caught in the ＂middle income trap.＂ To interpret the mechanism of the ＂middle income trap,＂ this paper focuses on： （1） Based on the empirical framework of economic growth, we perform an empirical research on the determinants of economic growth at different income levels and discover that fixed capital investment, FDI and human capital accumulation are the main factors influencing less developed economies while for the upper middle income level and high-income level countries, the engines of economic growth change to institutions and R＆D. （2） We discuss the possible reasons why developing countries can have rapid economic growth before reaching the middleineome level, but cannot transform growth mechanisms in the middle income level. （3） We classify the factors that have influenced China＇s economic growth since the reform and analyze the potential ones for China＇s future development.     

Will Inequality Lead China to the Middle Income Trap？

China has departed from the East Asian development model by letting inequality rise to a high level, which is now contributing to China＇s current problems of macroeconomic imbalance, declining efficiency of capital, and rising social tensions. If inequality persists, China may get caught in the ＂inequality-trap,＂ which may then lead to the middle income trap （MIT）. Fortunately, China still has the levers to pull to reduce inequality and avoid the MIT. Measures along both the ＂wage route＂ and the ＂redistributive route＂ can be adopted for this purpose. In addition, China may pursue the ＂cooperative route＂ to more equitable distribution.     

Productivity,Economic Growth and the Middle Income Trap： Implications for China

This paper explores the middle income trap （MIT） concept from the perspective of productivity growth. Through the examination of cross-country historical statistics as well as China＇s regional data, it sheds light on the debate about whether the Chinese economy can avoid the middle income trap. It should be one of the first papers proposing an analytical framework to address this controversial issue. The findings should have important implications for economic policies guiding China＇s development in the coming decades.     

Possibility of a Middle Income Trap in China： Assessment in Terms of the Literature on Innovation,Big Business and Inequality

This paper discusses the possibility of China falling into the so-called middle income trap in terms of three checkpoints： innovation capability, world-class big businesses, and inequality. Based on these criteria, our conclusions are as follows： First, China has increasingly become innovative and thus differs from other middle income countries. Second, China has many successful big businesses, a number disproportionate to its size. Thus, China differs from other middle income countries with few world-class big businesses, and the only qualification is that those big businesses are mostly non- manufacturing firms focused on such areas as finance, energy, and trading. Third, China faces great uncertainty in terms of inequality. Although several signs show that the Kuznets curve will come to represent China, as noted by the gradual reduction of surplus labor and rising wage rates starting in the coastal provinces, the Chinese are now facing new sources of inequality in China, such as wealth （including financial and real estate assets） and non-economic factors （including corruption）.     

Market Transition and Income Inequality in Urban China： Evidence from Shapley Value Decomposition

China＇s market-oriented reform is expected to strengthen the role of the market in allocating resources, which raises concerns over the impact of market transformation on income distribution and earnings inequality in the past decades. This paper decomposes the sources of inequality based on the newly developed Shapley value approach and examines the contributions of the market, along with other nonmarket factors, to total inequality. Using the China Health and Nutrition Survey data over the period 1989-2009, we find that the income gap between laborers with a higher level of education and those with a lower level has widened since the transformational reforms of the economy. Our results suggest that the largest contribution of changes in income inequality can be attributed to the increase in returns to education, while the relative contributions of the household registration （hukou） system, type of sector ownership, geographic location, and gender to inequality experienced a downward trend between 1989 and 2009. The authors argue that rising income inequality is the consequence of efficiency improvements and an imperfect economic system, and that the market is a decisive force in economic development as it releases competitive signals and creates incentive mechanisms for innovation. Creating a more efficient labor market and increasing investment in human capital, particularly equalizing educational opportunities and improving the quality of education in lagging rural and inland regions to disadvantaged groups, are significant for an equitable distribution of income and sustainable development in the long run.     

The Relation Study of Urbanization and Increasing Farmers＇ Income： Based the Data of Shanxi Province

城镇化水平对农民收入增长有着重要的影响,通过对山西省农村人均年纯收入与城镇化率之间关系进行实证分析,构建了城镇化率与山西省农民增收的函数关系。实证分析表明,城镇化率是山西省农民增收的重要推动因素,并在此基础上提出进一步推进农民收入增长的建议。     

Establish the New View of Nature and Environment ——The Discussion about the Important Philosophical Foundation of Project Ethics

In the modem project, how to understand and deal with the relationship between man and nature correctly, and how to treat ecology, resource, lives of animals and plants correctly have become the outstanding and urgent subjects day by day. Thee article illustrated that the new views of nature and environment are the important philosophical foundation of project ethics from three aspects： the recognition of the relationship between man and nature, the meditation of traditional mode of production, and the ecological and environmental consciousness.     

The Income–Temperature Relationship in a Cross-Section of Countries and its Implications for Predicting the Effects of Global Warming

Hotter countries are poorer on average. This paper attempts to separate the historical and contemporaneous components of this income–temperature relationship. Following ideas by Acemoglu et al. (Am Econ Rev 91(5):1369–1401, 2001), we use colonial mortality data to account for the historical role of temperature since colonial mortality was highly correlated with countries’ average temperatures. The remaining income–temperature gradient, after colonial mortality is accounted for, is most likely contemporaneous. This contemporaneous effect can be used to estimate the consequences of global warming. We predict that a 1°C temperature increase across all countries will cause a decrease of 3.8% in world GDP. This prediction is robust across functional forms and an alternative method for separating historical effects.     

The Research on the Contribution of Rural Tourism to Peasants＇ Income --Based on the empirical analysis of Chengdu

在乡村旅游发展的过程中,农民由于自身素质不同,他们参与乡村旅游的程度、对旅游发展的认识都有所不同,并且从中获得的收益也有差异。通过利用对应分析法进行实证研究发现,在乡村旅游中,打工获得的薪金对农民增收影响显著,为农家乐提供农产品获得的收入对农民增收影响有限。     

The contribution of resources and capabilities to the competitiveness： The case of Port of Sines

The main objective of this paper is to analyse the competitiveness of the main maritime Port sited in Portugal - Port of Sines. This paper is developed under the resource-based view approach. A literature review about the resource-based view is presented with a special highlight on the contribution of organisation owns＇ resources to the competitiveness. With this study we intend to emphasize the applicability of a management theory to a different type of organisation which only recently starts to be preoccupied with its competitiveness. A case study methodology is used in order to collect all information needed about its main resources and capabilities of Port and also its competitiveness. The resources analysed in this paper are： The infrastructures, the accessibilities, the Port operations and also the information systems used on it. Also, a set of performance data is analysed as the main indicators of competitiveness. After that, a conceptual model is presented in order to systematise the main resources and capabilities under which the competitiveness of the Port of Sines is built on.     

The difficulties of ＂polluter pays＂ policy in agricultural pollution in UK and methods to improve it

Agricultural wastes poll,tion became serious after great improvement in technology and the encouragement of production for the government since the end of the World Wai Ⅱ. Economists and environmental scholars suggested that ＂polluter pays＂ policy be employed in agricultural pollution control. However, it was hard to implement ＂polluter pays ＂ policy alone in agricultural wastes pollution.In practice, there were two social faCtors which contrih,ted to the improvement of water quality in the southwest of United Kingdom. One method is to communicate with farmers and then give farmers some advice or exhortation on facilities and management. The other method is to set up a telephone hotline for public to report water quality and probable pollution. Therefore, the consideration and combination of social factors in the control of agricultural wastes pollution are necessary, and important. Edueation of basic natural sciences relevant to agricultural pollution, system management of agricultural pollutants and laws relevant to agricultural pollution is suggested to be the third .social factor that British government can consider.     

The World Production and Trade of Rare Earth Elements： The Position of the Pacific Area

In this paper we analyze the characteristics of the so-called rare earth elements （REEs） and its industrial applications. We present the policy, or lack thereof, in the countries in the Pacific Rim for its mining and commerce, and the current and future weight that rare earth minerals will have in international trade. The technological revolution experienced over the last 25 years, has brought the REEs to the public＇s attention for being instrumental in obtaining catalysts, lasers and optical fiber, luminescent substances and LEDs, superconductors, permanent magnets, batteries and ultra-capacitors. China＇s leading position as the supplier of these minerals worldwide, and its recent export restriction policy for domestic industrial activities have driven up international prices. Price increase for REEs is leading to the need for both recycling and its replacement. It has also led other countries in the Asia Pacific Rim to prospect new potential sites on their own territories, or even to restart operations in deposits that had been previously abandoned. Those strategies will likely gain greater importance as environmental pollution problems associated with the exploitation, processing, and recovery of REEs increase.     

The study＇of the decomposition model to quantify low- carbon economy ＂decoupling＂ based on Kaya identity

在IPAT方程基础上运用LMDI分解法构建了低碳经济＂脱钩＂量化分解模型,并以山西为例进行分析。结果表明,1999～2009年间山西低碳经济已从＂扩张负脱钩＂和＂无脱钩努力＂阶段逐步改善为＂弱脱钩＂发展阶段;能源强度降低对低碳经济发展起到了关键性作用,产业结构和能源结构调整等其他措施效果并不明显。该模型的建立对科学评价减排措施和低碳经济发展具有重要的方法论意义。     

Study on Co-Action between Urban Agglomeration and Co-Network with the Combination of Market and Industry, ＇ A case of Co-Action between Urban Agglomeration of Mid-Zhejiang and ＂Yiwu Business Circle＂

国内外发展实践表明,区域经济发展往往伴随着城市群、市场及产业经济系统的演进。现有研究也多关注到了三者各自对区域经济发展所具有的独特作用。在提出了“协同型市场产业网络”和“城市群与协同型市场产业网络协动”这两个概念后,构建了城市群与协同型市场产业网络协动的理论模型。最后,以浙中城市群与“义乌商圈”协动发展为例,实证分析了城市群与协同型市场产业网络协动的历史逻辑过程及内在机理。     

Why Crisis Continue?——The Endogenous Reason of Financial Crisis and Evolution to the Debt Crisis and the Enlightenment

当前欧债危机越演越烈,需要重新思考金融危机爆发并且演化为主权债务危机的内生性根源.此次金融危机中,资本主义社会的基本矛盾是危机发生的制度性根源.这一矛盾外化为“相对过剩”.经济机制层面,新自由主义影响下的自由市场经济体制放大了市场经济固有的缺陷,为危机的爆发积累了机制性原因.微观市场层面,缺乏金融监管、不当的房地产和货币政策则是诱发危机的直接原因.高赤字和高负债的背景下,一些国内经济和社会矛盾突出的国家发生主权债务危机是金融危机深化的必然结果.处理好自由市场经济和规制市场经济、金融创新和金融监管、实体经济和虚拟经济的关系以及地方债务问题是此次金融和债务危机给我国的最大启示.