METROPOLITAN HOUSE PRICES IN SOUTH AFRICA: DO THEY CONVERGE?

The question this paper investigates is whether or not different metropolitan areas each constitute a separate housing market or whether or not there is a single South African housing market. Theory on the Law of One Price suggests that if products or geographic areas belong in the same market, their absolute prices must converge, so that their relative prices are stationary. By using cross-sectional time series data of five metropolitan areas, the paper tests for the Law of One Price by applying the Im, Pesaran and Shin panel unit root test. The paper finds strong evidence of convergence in large middle-segment house prices and weaker support for convergence in medium middle-segment house prices. In addition, the paper finds no evidence for convergence in small middle-segment house prices. This suggests the existence of a national market for large and possibly middle-segment houses in metropolitan areas, but separate metropolitan markets for small middle-segment houses. In addition, the paper estimates the speed of convergence and finds that large middle-segment house prices converge within two to seven quarters, while the speed of convergence for medium middle-segment house prices in three of the five areas is five to eight quarters.     

The best way of bilateral special economic zone to Sino-Vietnam economic cooperation

The Bilateral Special Economic Zones is a new idea about economic co-operation ways. It is going to be set by both countries with a common boundary for promoting the economic co-operation between two sides. It can be firstly set along the boundary between China and Vietnam. It will promote the economic co-operation between them, but China and ASEAN. It can be set along the Chinese boundary with the neighboring countries and will promote the economic co-operation between the both sides for setting up a better environment around China.     

偏远地区高校图书馆构建和谐文化作用初探

偏远地区的高等学校图书馆是该地区重要的科技、文化信息源，构建和谐文化，应该充分发挥这些图书馆的信息辐射作用。高等学校和地方政府应共同努力，把图书馆建成当地的科技、文化信息中心，以促进我国和谐文化的早日建成。     

资源环境约束下的和谐增长与制度和谐

经济增长对自然资源消耗和环境污染是不可避免的,然而,当经济增长对自然资源与环境资源的需求超过其承载力的阈限时,就会出现由于资源枯竭与环境恶化的非和谐增长.在对和谐增长相关理论进行梳理的基础上,以我国经济增长对资源、环境的超"阈限"影响为背景,分析"三重失灵"对和谐增长的影响,并将和谐增长纳入制度和谐的框架内,试图从制度约束上探讨长期和谐增长的保障机制.     

试论新制度经济学与中国体制改革的契合

中国正在经历一个制度变迁的时代。新制度经济学对中国体制改革实践有很强的解释力和指导性，它与马克思主义经济学在机理上的相通及其与中国的传统政治文化的契合促进了它在中国的进一步发展。中国正处于一个制度变迁的时代，新旧体制转轨使中国有了对新的经济制度变革理论的强烈需要。新制度经济学适应了这种需求，对中国体制改革实践有很强的解释力和指导性。新制度经济学与马克思主义政治经济学有相通之处，这有利于发展新制度经济学，也有利于中国经济理论的衔接和发展。中国的传统政治文化与新制度经济学理论的契合，既有利于新制度经济学的传播，也有利于中国体制改革的进一步发展。