Guest Editors＇ Words

For this Special Issue we have endeavored to compile a set of papers that carry a coherent message to the readership of China ＆ World Economy. The work builds upon and seeks to extend two recent topics of debate in China. First, we recognize and add to the literature on tightening labor markets, rising wage rates and the emergence of a new era in China＇s economic development. Second, we contribute to the debate on the seriousness of inequality inChina.     

Climate Change and Green Growth： New Thinking Guest Editors＇ Words

Over the past three decades, few factors have changed the world economy more than China＇s growtk Hundreds of millions of people have experienced massive improvements in their conditions of living. As a result, the aspiration of billions of people worldwide to escape poverty has become a realistic prospect in the 21 st century. However, the Chinese experience also shows that realizing this prospect comes with the huge challenge of reducing environmental disruption fast enough.     

Self-employment in Rural China:Its Development,Characteristics,and Relation to Income

Changes in the employment structure in rural China were studied with a focus on off-farm self-employment.Data from the Chinese Household Income Project surveys were used,covering the same 14 provinces from 1988 to 2018.We found that the proportion of adults in rural China with self-employment as their primary form of off-farm employment increased from only 2 percent in 1988 to 11 percent in 2013,with no further increases through 2018.In 1988 and 1995,the rate of self-employment was highest in the eastern region but this regional pattern subsequently disappeared.The probability of being self-employed in rural China was higher among married males than among unmarried persons.Having a migration experience increased the likelihood of being self-employed.Since 1995,self-employed households have had a higher average income than other categories of household.Based on estimates of income functions,we conclude that the income premium from being self-employed increased rapidly from 1988 to 1995 to become remarkably large when only a few adults were self-employed.However,as a larger fraction of the rural population entered self-employment,the payoff from being self-employed has rapidly diminished,although it was still substantial in 2018.     

Editors’ introduction transitional economies: Progress and pitfalls

Many Asian countries are undergoing transition from centrally planned to market-oriented economies. The People's Republic of China (PRC) and Viet Nam have been going through this transition since the 1980s, while Mongolia and the former Soviet republics of Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan began their transition in the 1990s with the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991. On the other hand, Cambodia, the Lao People's Democratic Republic, and Myanmar, while they have begun reforms, are still in the early stages of transition. North Korea has probably made the least progress in this regard. This Special Issue on Transitional Economies aims to provide valuable insights for Asia's developing countries still in transition and to provide them with policy recommendations for avoiding the pitfalls of transition experienced in the 1990s.     

The Consumption-Stimulating Effect of Public Rental Housing in China

China's public rental policy creates opportunities for poor households to rent apartments at low rental prices.In addition to such an impact,we argue that public rental housing increases the purchasing power of the poor and therefore enhances the income elasticity of consumption,i.e.,the percentage of consumption increment due to a 1 percent increase in income.Based on a nationwide dataset from China,the Chinese Household Income Project 2018,we find that public rental housing significantly increases the marginal impact of household disposable income on consumption.Specifically,our analysis suggests that public rental apartments could increase the income elasticity of consumption demand by 18 percent among all rental households and by 24 percent among rental households with below-average income.We also find that the effect of public rental housing on income elasticity of consumption is stronger for service consumption than for nonservice consumption.These results suggest that a well designed public rental policy could not only promote consumption in favor of the service industry but also alleviate the undesirable consequences of the unbalanced consumption structure caused by income inequality.     

宁强选拔优秀“村官’’当“乡官’’

还差10天就是大年三十，别人都在购置年货，宁强县毛坝河镇的陈益品却冒着大雪，深一脚浅一脚地踏入该镇西方沟村一组梁开斌家，送去食用菌备料技术。 陈益品原是西方沟村村党支部书记，2006年被选拔进镇党委班子，一年后，被群众推选为该镇副镇长。陈益品工作角色的变迁，实际是宁强县针对农村实际和农村基层干部特点，创新机制，探索出的一条干部选拔任用的新路子。     

Economic Policies for a Harmonious Society： A Symposium Editorial Introduction

China＇s remarkable economic growth has produced dramatic structtral and socioeconomic change. Economic growth has solved many problems but the accompanying changes in the economy and society have brought new problems to the fore. This has been recognized by China＇s Government in the recent emphasis that it has placed on the need to create a ＂harmonious society.＂ The new leadership will wish to devise new policies for the current challenges and those ahead.     

城镇化“不要急于求成’’

陈炳才谈到,中央城镇化工作会议赋予城镇化新内涵,回归了城镇化本质内涵。会议提出,城镇化“要体现尊重自然、顺应自然、天人合一的理念,依托现有山水脉络等独特风光,让城市融人大自然,让居民望得见山、看得见水、记得住乡愁”,由此可见,城镇化不是土地、住房的城镇化,也不是大拆大建的造城运动,而应是布局合理、优雅、让人有记忆、有乡恋的城镇化,城镇化的人文和历史、自然特色更明显。他指出,新加坡城市建设经验告诉我们,人老怀旧,因此,其高楼大厦边留有足够的空间建造新的楼房,一旦旧房需要改造,在空地上建新房后,先搬住后拆迁,避免了拆迁矛盾。到目前,新加坡的土地60％依然是禁止开发,40％的开发地带依然有很多尚未开发。新加坡的城市,是一个花园城市,绿色城市。反观我国的城镇化,地方城市官员们急于求成,试图把后来几代人完成的事现在就想做完,这种大拆大建的拆迁随时耳闻应该反省。可喜的是城镇化工作会议提出“不要急于求成、拔苗助长”,纠正了以往的片面政绩观和城镇化思路。     

宝鸡“三双’’阳光工程冲击波

“三双”活动拓宽了承诺范围，以“两委会”班子整体功能的发挥引导党员作用的发挥，以党员作用的发挥促进“两委会”班子整体功能的发挥；以党内民主推动农村基层民主，以党内和谐带动农村社会和谐；以公开监督承诺兑现，以评议促进承诺落实。     

“汽车限购’’能走多远

经历过计划经济的人，对政府的行政“限购”应该司空见惯，不陌生。记得1979年我上大学时，大米、棉布、白糖等还一律凭票（计划凭证）供应，若是有钱没票，商店绝不卖你。可奇怪的是，当时并不见有多少人怨天尤人。想不到，年前北京推出汽车限购令却立即议论四起，有人拍手叫好，有人愤愤不平。     

回望08’畅想09’——合作经济年度盘点：抹不掉的08’记忆

冰雪挡不住的合作社温暖2008年年初,一场50年一遇的罕见冰冻灾害席卷全国19个省市,给众多农民专业合作社造成了巨大损失。一些合作社辛辛苦苦建设的加工、仓储设施损坏严重,不少合作社养殖的猪、鱼、虾被压死、冻死,成片的菜园、果园、茶园毁于一旦。面对灾害,各地合作社积极带领成员开展自救,让很多无助的农户实实在在感受到组织的力量和温暖。     

财经期刊应从“后发行时代’’回归

随着我国经济的高速发展．对财经报道的需求大增．财经类期刊出现爆炸式增长。财经类期刊成为了我国期刊中最大的一个种类。读者的需求是多种多样的。为争夺读者,固定读者群．财经类期刊在所有期刊中又率先进入了分众时代．并且在21世纪初又率先进入了“后发行时代”。     

“打工老板’’吴祥义，追求村民共富

采访吴祥义，让人怎么也不能把眼前的他与一个“千万富翁”划等号。 他还是一个地地道道的民工：装束普通，皮肤粗糙，不停抽烟门牙熏的黝黑，接手机时来回走动，扯着沙哑的嗓门，眉头、眼神不时流露出一种焦灼……‘     

我所知道的‘例外’与‘无用’

铺天盖地关于中国第一夫人和中国设计品牌例外的消息把我雷醒了。第一夫人为中国设计师做出的瞬间的市场效益是我十年经营的好几倍,而且真是不费吹灰之力。让我感觉真是瞎忙了十年。第一夫人穿例外高级定制是件好事,不仅对例外是好事,对所有中国设计师都是好事情,对我这个做点中国设计小买卖的小商人更是好事。因为从此,质疑中国设计的声音就会少很多。     

“心理’’在军事体能训练中作用的探讨

1军事体育训练的心理原则军事体育训练的心理原则是军事体育训练中心理规律的反映,是在长期军事实践活动中摸索出来的。正确贯彻这些原则,对于提高军事体育的效果具有重要意义。     

出版业整体上市：整合“带厨房的餐厅’’

2007年12月13日．辽宁出版传媒股份公司IPO完成路演并于14日开始接受申购．成为国内第一家编辑业务和经营业务整体上市的新闻出版企业。相对于北青集团的分拆上市被研究人士形容为“一家没有厨房的餐厅”，出版传媒集团在这个方面所做的探索不仅对出版业．而且对其他产业性质的媒体都有重要的示范意义——不仅”使厨房配上了餐厅”．还拉开了出版业整体上市的帷幕。     

特别关注转型发展：宁波“三年行动计划’’

面对愈发激烈的区域竞争和日趋紧缺的环境资源,宁波靠什么摆脱传统发展的“路径依赖”？靠什么开辟新的发展空间？靠什么重铸新的竞争优势？等等这些经济社会发展中的疑虑正成为宁波当下不可回避的问题。在1月上旬召开的宁波市十四届人大四次会议上,新当选的宁波市市长卢子跃在其所作的《政府工作报告》中提出了“宁波市经济社会转型发展三年行动计划”,对宁波未来三年经济社会转型发展目标和任务做了详尽的描述。     

重庆“打黑’解读

中共重庆市委书记薄熙来首次披露重拳“打黑”的真实初衷：“打黑不是我们要主动而为，而是黑恶势力逼得我们没办法。”数万网民作出诸多猜测。解读之一是薄熙来话里有话，重庆“打黑”可能遭到很多势力干扰。解读之二是只想描述黑恶势力的猖狂。解读之三是批评薄熙来，认为其说错话。     

“嫦娥一号’’有挈于今年8月完成月球全貌拍摄

中国首颗月球探测卫星“嫦娥一号”有望于今年8月完成对月球表面全貌的拍摄。由中国科协组织主办的“万名科技专家讲科普”活动日前在京启动，中国绕月探测工程总指挥栾恩杰在作首场科普报告时透露上述信息。