China in the Global Response to Climate Change

China has a huge national interest in the success of the international effort to hold human-induced increases in temperature to 1.5 degrees – and therefore in global net emissions falling to net zero by 2050. China is essential to the success of the global effort – as a supplier of competitively priced equipment for the zero emissions world economy and as the world's largest current source of greenhouse gas emissions. Success is more likely for China and the world with international specialization in goods production for the zero emissions economy. This will require open international trade, with China supplying equipment and drawing zero emissions semi-processed goods from abroad. Success is more likely and will be achieved at a lower cost if there is close cooperation across national boundaries.     

The Economic Consequences of Mr Trump and Mr Biden

Max Corden and Ross Garnaut published ‘The Economic Consequences of Mr Trump’ in this journal in 2018. This paper examines what has transpired in the US economy against that article. It notes continuity in budget and trade policy from the Trump Presidency to the Biden Presidency. The continuity in macro-fiscal and trade policies is accompanied by a significant departure in the focus of fiscal expansion: Mr Biden's strong support for decarbonisation. The article applies Max Corden's approach to international economics to the question: should Australia emulate Mr Biden's combination of budget, protection and decarbonisation policies?