Intra-Industry Trade and Labor Market Adjustment in Taiwan

This paper investigates the relationship between intra-industry trade (IIT) expansion and labor market adjustment in Taiwan. We adopt a panel data set containing detailed employment information and utilize various measures of labor market adjustment to conduct empirical estimations. After controlling for industry-specific effects and occupational composition, the empirical results demonstrate that IIT expansion does have a smoothing effect on labor market adjustment. Moreover, industries with abundant skilled workers experience lower employment adjustment costs.     

推进粤港澳保险服务贸易自由化问题探讨

推进粤港澳保险服务贸易自由化,有利于推动粤港澳保险市场的联动,提升广东保险业的市场竞争力,拓展港澳地区保险业市场空间,但也会对广东保险市场带来冲击,并加大区域保险业风险管理的难度。在新形势下,粤港澳保险服务贸易自由化具备政策优势和市场基础,但也面临事权不同、门槛较高、管理体制差异等障碍。为此,要从争取中央政府的政策支持、完善粤港澳保险业合作的机制、加强保险服务贸易发展的目标规划、营造良好的政策环境等方面着手,推动粤港澳保险服务贸易自由化。     

中韩产业内贸易结构实证分析

本文采用实证分析方法,对中韩两国间的产业内贸易进行了测算.在此基础上将产业内贸易细分为水平型和垂直型两种形式.得出了中韩贸易的主要形式为产业内贸易,且在产业内贸易内部,垂直型贸易比例较大,水平型贸易份额逐步上升的基本结论.     

Determinants of No-Fault Insurance Measures

In spite of being touted as the panacea for rising premiums and unfair settlements, no‐fault automobile insurance provisions exist in fewer than one third of U.S. states. Few researchers have examined why such measures exist in some states but not in others. This article focuses directly on this issue by looking at the factors that help explain the type of no‐fault regime in place. The article conducts an empirical analysis using a data set that spans all 50 states over the 19‐year period from 1972 to 1990. Among other things, the analysis finds that the structure of the insurance industry and the type of rate regulation under which it operates are determinants of these decisions.     

The Determinants of Financial Health of Asian Insurance Companies

Previous studies of financial health of insurance companies are mainly focused on insurers operating in the United States and developed economies. This article focuses on the solvency of general (property‐liability) and life insurance companies in Asia using firm data and macro data separately. It uses different classification methods to classify the financial status of both general and life insurance companies. With the exception of Japan, failures of insurers in Singapore, Malaysia, and Taiwan are nonexistent. We find that, first, the factors that significantly affect general insurers' financial health in Asian economies are firm size, investment performance, liquidity ratio, surplus growth, combined ratio, and operating margin. Second, the factors that significantly affect life insurers' financial health are firm size, change in asset mix, investment performance, and change in product mix, but the last three factors are more applicable to Japan. Third, the financial health of insurance companies in Singapore seems to be significantly weakened by the Asian Financial Crisis. As the insurance industry in different Asian economies is at different stages of development, they require different regulatory guidelines.     

The Determinants of Credit Ratings in the United Kingdom Insurance Industry

This paper examines the determinants of external credit ratings attained by insurance firms in the United Kingdom (UK) and of the likelihood that insurers will have such an assessment. Using panel data relating to A.M. Best‐rated and Standard and Poor's (S&P)‐rated insurers over the period 1993–1997, a trichotomous logit model and an ordered probit model with sample selection are employed to show that the factors which influence the likelihood of having external credit assessments not only vary between the two agencies but also differ from those which determine the ratings themselves. Our results are shown to be of potential interest to participants in the insurance industry and policy‐makers alike.     

Trade in Services and the Multilateral Trade Negotiations

The dispute between developed and developing countries overthe inclusion of services in the Uruguay Round of trade negotiationsreflects critical differences in perspective on substantiveissues. In particular, these substantive divisions arise fromthe differences between services and goods in matters such asregulation and the requirement in many instances of freedomto move productive factors across national boundaries—forexample, the "right to establish" that would permit the providerof services to get to the user. In addition, developing countriessee the developed countries as seeking concessions on servicetrade in exchange for removal of the latter's existing and potentialbarriers on trade in goods, rather than establishing quid proquos within the service compact itself. Developing countrieshave possible export advantages in the service sector and havemuch to gain by joining actively in negotiating a services compactthat permits them to exploit these advantages.     

中国保险业在国际竞争中的发展策略

市场经济需要一个开放有序的保险市场。中国加入WTO后 ,国内保险业所面临的 ,既有难得的发展机遇 ,也有严峻的冲击与挑战。中国保险业要走上持续、稳定、健康的发展轨道 ,必须从法制建设、市场监管、转变经营机制 ,推行产品、服务创新和改进营销方式等诸方面采取积极有效的策略 ,以使中国保险业更好地面对挑战     

The Intra-Industry Effects of Going-Private Transactions

We demonstrate that bids to take firms private generate significantly positive valuation effects for industry rivals of target firms. These valuation effects cannot reflect either synergy or monopoly since no consolidation of operating firms is involved in such transactions. Participation by buyout specialists in the bid does not significantly affect these gains. Bids by outsiders and bids by incumbent managers generate similar valuation effects for industry rivals. The effect on share prices of industry rivals is inversely related to the capitalized values of rival firms relative to the target firm. We also report valuation effects for target firms.     

Law and the Determinants of Property-Casualty Insurance

This article examines the importance of legal rights and enforcement in influencing property‐casualty insurance (PCI) consumption. We extend the existing literature by examining the role of legal factors in determining insurance density across countries. Also, measures of risk aversion, loss probability, and price, which overcome limitations of proxies used in the existing literature on insurance demand, are analyzed. Using a panel data set, we apply a generalized methods of moments dynamic system estimator, which relaxes the assumption of strict exogeneity of the regressors and produces unbiased and efficient estimates. The results show a strong positive relationship between the protection of property rights and insurance consumption, which is robust to various model specifications and estimation techniques. Moreover, the results show the purchase of PCI is significantly and positively related to loss probability and income, as well as providing weaker evidence of a negative relationship with price.     

The Determinants of Financial Derivatives Use in the United Kingdom Life Insurance Industry

This paper examines the determinants of financial derivatives use in the United Kingdom life insurance industry. We estimate a probit regression model and a Heckman two-stage sample selection regression model using a sample of eighty-eight U.K. life insurers in 1995. Our results indicate that the propensity to use derivative instruments is positively related to a firm's size, leverage and international links, and negatively related to the extent of reinsurance. We also find that mutual life insurance firms have a greater propensity than stock firms to use derivatives. The positive relation with leverage and the negative relation with reinsurance support the hypothesis that U.K. life insurers use derivatives to offset risk, rather than as a speculative means of income generation. Firm size and organizational form are the main influences on the extent of financial derivatives use.     

董事高管责任保险与企业商业信用

基于董事高管责任保险的公司治理观和机会主义观,以中国A股上市公司为样本,实证检验董事高管责任保险对企业商业信用的影响。结果显示：企业认购董事高管责任保险有助于提高商业信用的获取水平,支持了董事高管责任保险的公司治理观。进一步研究发现：在内控质量更高以及非国有企业中,董事高管责任保险对企业商业信用的积极影响更明显;当外部政策不确定性更大及金融发展水平越低时,董事高管责任保险对企业获得商业信用的积极作用更强。     

Trade in Financial Services and Capital Movements

International financial liberalization may alter saving–investment imbalances and patterns of capital flows across countries. Using a panel of OECD countries for 1990–1996, I examine how the liberalization of capital movements and financial services trade affects net private capital flows. Capital inflows tend to fall (rise) with the liberalization of commercial presence in banking and securities (insurance) services, possibly reflecting an increase (decrease) in saving. I find that capital account liberalization stimulates capital inflows, suggesting that better access to external financing helps sustain larger current account deficits. When cross-border trade is liberalized, capital inflows change insignificantly.     

上海自贸区对我国养老保险服务市场的影响

目前我国是世界上唯一一个老年人口接近2亿的国家．且正在以每年3％以上的速度在增长。庞大的老年人群体对医疗、护理等养老服务有着巨大的需求。这一需求单靠政府的力量是不可能满足的,亟待社会多元资本的参与。根据上海自贸区的总体方案．外商独资的医疗机构获得了准八的机会,因此,对我国医疗保险产品的创新和发展,以及老年医疗服务的提供有很好的借鉴作用,进而为外资参与养老服务领域提供了可能,带动我国养老服务市场的升级。     

The Determinants of Private Debt Holdings: Evidence From the Life Insurance Industry

Life insurers hold the majority of private debt. Lenders in the private debt market must have the ability to evaluate the credit quality of borrowers and to perform ongoing risk monitoring. The purpose of this study is to examine the determinants of private debt holdings in the life insurance industry. The results suggest that larger insurers, insurers with higher financial quality, mutual insurers, publicly traded insurers, insurers facing stringent regulation, and insurers with greater cash holdings are more prevalent lenders in the private debt market.     

开放条件下我国服务贸易结构性失衡与对策

加入WTO以来,随着服务业开放的保护性安排逐渐结束,我国服务贸易的结构性失衡呈现新的特点:传统服务业仍然维持一定规模贸易顺差,新兴服务业如金融、电信、信息、咨询等行业的贸易逆差增大。在新的开放条件下,服务贸易发展面临来自外国服务提供者的激烈竞争和挑战。笔者认为,我国服务贸易失衡是服务业竞争劣势的集中体现,有必要通过技术、管理和制度创新增强服务业竞争优势,同时要有效运用国际惯例和国内法律规范维护我国服务产业安全和服务贸易利益。     

我国服务贸易与经济发展——基于行业面板数据的分析

本文利用1997年到2006年8个服务贸易行业的面板数据,通过分析我国服务贸易进出口与经济发展之间的关系,肯定了我国入世后服务贸易进出口快速发展的同时,发现服务贸易进口对经济发展的促进作用要大于服务贸易出口。从行业结构上还发现我国目前占我国服务贸易进出口过半的传统服务贸易行业对经济发展的促进作用偏低而相对份额较少的新兴服务贸易行业,也就是资本知识密集服务行业对经济发展的促进作用较大。另外国际文化服务贸易对我国经济发展具有较强推动作用,我国应该进一步重视国际文化服务贸易的发展,增强中华文化的国际影响力。     

金融支持服务贸易的理论分析与对策研究

服务贸易作为经济发展的动力和引擎,对于转变我国经济发展和对外贸易增长方式具有重大战略意义,但由于缺乏足够的金融支持,我国服务贸易整体水平还处于比较落后的状态。本文将从产业结构调整理论和国家竞争优势理论的视角分析对服务贸易进行金融支持的必要性,并提出构建我国服务贸易多元化金融支持体系的对策建议。