“一国四席”应在WTO框架内建立自由贸易区

祖国大陆和台湾加入世贸组织以后,两岸与港澳的经贸关系出现了新的特点。在WTO的框架下,中国形成了“一 国四席”的独特资源,香港、澳门和台湾都是中国的单独关税区。由于WTO没有处理属于一国多席的成员之间关系的案例,因而没有相关的规章可循。中国作为一个主权国家,在WTO中拥有四个席位,若要完全按WTO现有章程或机制来处理单独关税区内的经贸关系,不能完全体现“一国四席”的性质。中国需要建立一种既能体现“一国”又能反映”四席”的单独关税区经贸关系的互动模式,以区别于一般的WTO成员之间的关系,用契约式的经济关系加以界定。这将有利于依托中国内地经济持续高速增长的背景,推动祖国大陆与港澳台经贸关系的发展。用自由贸易区的模式来界定彼此的关系,在WTO成员国中是一个创举。本就这个问题加以讨论。     

CEPA的特点及其对澳门经济的影响

2003年10月17日,《内地与澳门关于建立更紧密经贸关系安排》(即CEPA)正式签署。该协议将于2004年1月起分阶段实施,对澳门经济发展,特别是对包括粤港澳在内的大珠江三角洲区域经济的整合,都将产生深远影响。一、CEPA签署的背景与意义1.CEPA是在WTO的框架内推进粤港澳经济一体化的重要举措中国加入WTO后,首先面临的一个重要问题,就是如何处理内地与香港、澳门、台湾的特殊经贸关系,并进一步推进内地与香港、澳门、台湾的经济合作。CEPA在符合WTO规则的前提下,建立起内地与香港、澳门“更紧密经贸关系安排”,标志着香港、澳门与内地…     

WTO框架下“一国四席”的一体化关系研究

本文通过对WTO框架下中国“一国四席”成员关系格局的阐述,分析了大陆、台湾、香港、澳门引用WTO“一体化例外”原则,建立超越一般最惠国待遇的法律基础,并就WTO框架下两岸四地的现实经贸政策与WTO规则之间的关系、两岸四地实行区域合作的方式进行了讨论。在WTO框架下,中国四成员方的一体化是可行的,但由于两岸关系的特殊性,实现“四方一体化”的过程又是复杂而困难的。从目前情况看,“自由贸易区”或“共同市场”等国际通用的经济一体化名称暂不适合两岸四地的现实环境,某种形式的“临时协议”是最优选择。     

WTO后两岸经贸关系的特点、短期前景及长期趋势

两岸加入WTO后,中国四方在WTO内取得了中国为主体下“一国四席”的地位,这是世界经济的重大历史性发展,其对两岸、对香港、对澳门以及对地区经济的深远影响,在目前还没有能够充分显示出来的。但两岸抓住机遇,按照WTO的规则,加强融合,在地区一体化进程中推动两岸经贸关系朝共同利益方向发展的前景,已清晰可见。加入WTO前,两岸经贸往来已具有相当规模,加入WTO后,两岸经贸进一步呈现出各种有潜力的发展势头,出现贸易与投资整合程度迅速加快的新特点。展望前景,如果台湾当局能从避免经济边缘化的高度,顺应形势,改变其阻碍两岸经贸发展的政策,妥善处理两岸关系中已经不容回避的重大问题,如在“一国两制”基础上实现“三通”、WTO框架下“一国四席”的关系与“互不适用条款”的使用等问题,则两岸协商机制有可能提早建立,两岸经贸关系也将出现更大规模的发展。     

加入世贸后两岸经贸关系走势分析

LIANGANJINGJI 中国和中国台湾地区于2001年11月13日和14日相继加入了世界贸易组织（WTO）。随着加入世贸组织后各项协议的履行和承诺的兑现,两岸经贸关系必将进入一个新的阶段。如何正确把握“入世”后两岸经贸关系的走势,充分利用WTO的制度框架拓展和深化两岸经贸合作,合理有效地解决经贸争端,促进两岸经贸关系健康、稳定的发展,这是我们在新的经贸关系平台上将要面对的重大机遇和挑战一、两岸经贸关系的现状 从80年代后半期起,台湾海峡两岸经贸关系在台商向祖国大陆的投资的浪潮中发展。此后虽因台湾形势的变化而历经波折,但两岸贸易和投资的发展速度还是很快的,并形成了一种相互依存的经贸关系。     

“九七”前后台澳经贸关系探析

近年来,在两岸经贸关系迅猛发展的驱动下,台湾与澳门的经贸往来有了一定的发展,双方在贸易、投资、旅游等经济领域的交流与合作进一步密切。随着“九七”的临近,台澳航线的正式开通,澳门作为两岸往来中介的角色日益突出。在中国即将恢复对香港行使主权的时刻,有哪些因素将影响台澳经贸关系?台澳经贸关系将向什么方向发展呢?     

多边贸易体制下构建大中华自由贸易区的可行性分析

一、构建大中华自由贸易区的法律基础 WTO是协调各国关税与贸易政策的国际组织,WTO规则对自由贸易区这一特殊例外有着明确的规定,中国内地、香港、澳门和台湾作为独立关税区已同为WTO成员,建立两岸四地自由贸易区理应符合WTO的相关规定,履行作为WTO成员的义务,不违反WTO的规则.     

在WTO条件下,推进“两岸四地”的经济整合

经济全球化是当今世界经济发展的主旋律。各个国家和地区,特别是发展中国家,都在积极应对经济全球化带来的机遇和挑战。在此过程中,区域经济合作、区域经济集团化和区域经济一体化也越来越成为一种突出的趋势和现象。中国正是在这一国际背景下加入世贸组织的。加入世贸后,中国将更加开放地走向世界,并将对世界经济和区域经济产生重要影响。中国大陆和台湾相继加入 WTO,加上中国香港和澳门两个独立关税区,在世贸组织中就有四个中国成员。从大趋势看,两岸入世后,势必使中国内地、台湾、香港和澳门四地之间的经贸关系逐步发生重大变化,并将对区域经济产生重大影响。     

加入WTO与两岸经贸互动

祖国大陆和台湾地区可望于今年正式加入 WTO，加入 WTO将给两岸经贸关系发展开启前所未有的契机，两岸经贸交往将发生重大的转变。 加入 WTO对两岸主要产业的影响 　　加入 WTO是祖国大陆对外开放、经济改革发展的必然趋势，有利于维护祖国大陆经贸利益和经济安全 ;同时为祖国大陆经济改革与发展带来强大的推动力和契机，使祖国大陆经济尽快融入世界经济的主流。 　　台湾地区经济的发展目前正面临着转型期的困境，加入 WTO对台湾经济发展是一个转机，但也将对岛内产业造成一些影响。总之，如果两岸抓住机会，积极发展两岸经贸，形成…     

加强香港、内地、台湾金融政策协调有利于港、台汇率的稳定

确保香港金融市场的稳定在“两岸经贸关系”中处于极其重要的地位,这是由其特殊的金融地位、金融体系的稳健性,香港、内地、台湾之间日趋密切的经贸联系所决定的。但是,近期国际游资侵袭港元联汇制,使港元汇率、台湾新台币出现振荡。因此,在亚太各国、地区重视相互之间金融合作的今天,更有必要加强香港、台湾与祖国内地的金融政策配合,这对确香港金融市场的稳定乃至对建立“中国经济区”都具有重大的现实意义。一、香港保持稳定的金融体系有利于两岸经贸的进一步发展（一）香港金融市场对促进内地经济发展举足轻重香港与内地经济具有…     

Bubbles, crises, and policy

In many recent cases financial liberalization has led to a bubblein asset prices. The bursting of the bubble results in a bankingcrisis and recession. It is suggested such bubbles are causedby an interaction of the risk-shifting problem arising fromagency relationships in intermediaries and uncertainty concerningthe expansion of credit. Two important policy objectives areidentified. The first is the prevention of bubbles in assetprices. The second is minimizing the impact of spillovers onto the real economy during post-bubble banking crises. The differentpolicy approaches taken in Norway and Japan are compared.     

Finance, governments, and trade

We study how financial transactions may respond to exogenous variation in trade opportunities not only directly, but also through policy channels. In more open economies, governments may find it more difficult to fund and enforce public policies that substitute private financial transactions, and more appealing to deregulate financial markets. We propose a simple theoretical model of such policy-mediated relationships between trade and financial development. Empirically, we document in a country panel dataset that, before the 2007–2008 crisis, financial market volumes were robustly and negatively related to the share of government consumption in GDP in regressions that also include indicators of financial regulation and trade openness, and we seek support for a causal interpretation of this result in instrumental variable specifications.     

Migration,FDI, and Welfare

We investigate migration and foreign direct investment (FDI) for a small trading economy. Historically, immigration in small countries has been accompanied by FDI inflows (complementary capital movements). Based on the skill composition of migrants, empirical evidence finds that skilled immigration is accompanied by FDI inflows but unskilled immigration is accompanied by FDI outflows (substitutable capital movements). We prove that the Heckscher-Ohlin model cannot reconcile these apparently contradictory observations. We introduce a theoretical model in which capital and unskilled labor are sector specific, and demonstrate that this model can reconcile the historical and empirical observations on migration and FDI.     

Emotions,Sanctions, and Cooperation

We use skin conductance responses and self‐reported hedonic valence to study the emotional basis of cooperation and punishment in a social dilemma. We argue that the availability of sanctions sets in motion a “virtuous emotional circle” that accompanies cooperation. Emotional reaction to free riding leads cooperators to apply sanctions. In response, and in addition to the monetary consequences of receiving sanctions, the negative emotions experienced by the free‐riders when punished lead them to increase their subsequent level of cooperation. The outcome is an increased level of cooperation that becomes a new norm. Therefore, emotions sustain both the use of altruistic punishment and cooperation.     

Growth, equality, and history

Complex policy issues deserve frequent reassessment, and the relationship between economic growth and equality is undeniably complex. Policymakers who care about trade-offs between the two goals continue to press the scientific limits of empirical economics. It takes an enormous sample of long-term national experiences to approximate the data base necessary to move debate from allegation to evidence. Fortunately, the sample continues to expand. Since the 1950s dozens of countries have produced evidence on income distribution and growth, and the records of some currently developed countries have been extended back into the 17th century. This article assesses the empirical harvest. Most of our inferences, however, are based on American and British history.     

Investment financing, inflation, risks, and stabilization

This paper discusses financial problems of stepping up the investment process in Russia, approaches to intensifying financial redistribution, opportunities for using government savings to boost and upgrade economic growth, and suggests financial support measures for the modernization of the Russian economy.     

Sickness, absenteeism, presenteeism, and sick pay

The annual cost of absenteeism from the workplace in the UKhas been estimated to be over 1% of GDP. The traditional approachto a discussion of absence has been for the firm to passivelyaccept both wages and sick pay and allow workers to choose theirabsence behaviour. Most empirical research has been based onthis approach. However, if absence is costly why should firmspay extra-statutory sick pay? One reason may be the phenomenaof presenteeism (ill workers attending work). This may adverselyaffect productivity. This paper shows that allowing for presenteeismhas important implications for both the design of optimal wage-sickpay contracts and for the interpretation of empirical studies.Specifically, we show that firms will offer a level of sickpay greater than the statutory minimum.