South Korea’s outward direct investment and its dyadic determinants: Foreign aid,bilateral treaty and economic diplomacy

This study investigates the factors that affect South Korean outward foreign direct investment (FDI) in developing countries. Most previous studies focus on monadic factors and do not consider how and to what extent bilateral relationships between South Korea and the host countries affect the investment decisions of Korean firms. The current study finds that interstate factors such as South Korea's international investment treaties with and official development assistance to host countries have positive effects on FDI to these countries, while presidential visits have strong and statistically significant effects on FDI only in countries located in non-Asian regions, especially the African continent. The findings suggest that the effects of bilateral relations on South Korea's FDI vary depending on the geographic location of the host country.     

Brexit and its economic consequences

As the formal process of Brexit has already started, there is much uncertainty about Brexit's impacts on Britain's social, political and economic future. This paper examines the economic impact. After briefly discussing some significant EU treaties that serve as the background materials, it presents the key arguments advocated by the leave and remain camps. The economic impact depends critically on the negotiation outcomes. Aside from the debate on the divorce costs, there are numerous issues that must be negotiated, such as immigration, trade in goods, services, agriculture, fisheries and financial regulations. We discuss various scenarios of possible new trade regimes, resulting in different impacts on the UK economy. With each side having its bargaining chips to play, the trade‐offs between “give and take” in the negotiation game are analysed. Considering various strategic options, this paper urges rationality and cooperation, especially weighing both sides’ entwined economic interests, in addition to their mutual security, defence, environmental and world concerns. The potential gains and losses in the event where the UK contemplates new trade arrangements with the non‐EU countries are analysed in the Appendix .     

中国在东亚构建FTA的比较研究

东亚经济的快速发展推动了东亚区域一体化的进程,但建立广泛的一体化经济是一个长期过程。因此建立双边及多边FTA是目前我国现实可行的中期战略。从经济发展水平、经济结构、贸易状况、贸易策略四个方面对中国与东盟、日韩建立FTA进行比较分析。结果显示,中国应加强与东亚各国的贸易,在推进CAFTA时,广泛开展产业内贸易,优化产业结构,推动经济结构形成互补,避免恶性竞争。和中日韩建立FTA时,应提高产品的质量和科技含量,增加出口产品附加值,加速产业结构的优化升级。     

农村土地承包合同法律性质探析

农村土地承包合同是在我国农村土地集体所有的制度框架内,对我国农民土地权利实现的保障,是设立农村土地承包经营权的重要依据。但在我国理论界对农村土地承包合同的法律性质存在行政合同说、民事合同说和经济合同说的分歧,这种状况在司法实践中已经造成了诸多不利影响。因此,应当对我国农村土地承包合同性质进行界定,并通过完善相关的法律制度设计,来保障农民的合法权益。     

一种基于移动公网的安全专网认证与密钥协商方案

针对移动公网保障端到端安全的不足,提出了一种基于改进的Diffie-Hellman密钥交换协议机制的安全专网认证和密钥协商设计方案。该方案可以在终端接入移动公网的基础上,实现通信双方端到端的相互认证,同时协商出独立于网络的密钥。性能分析表明,该方案结构简单,安全高效,符合移动通信系统的要求。     

The Impact of an EU–US Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership Agreement on Biofuel and Feedstock Markets

We assess the impact of a potential TTIP bilateral free trade agreement on the EU and US bio‐economies (feedstock, biofuels, by‐products, and related competing crops) and major trade partners in these markets. The analysis develops a multi‐market model that incorporates bilateral trade flows (US to EU, EU to US, and similarly with third countries) and is calibrated to the OECD‐FAO baseline for 2013–2022 to account for recent policy decisions. The major policy reforms from a TTIP involve tariff and TRQ liberalisation and their direct contractionary impact on US sugar supply, EU biofuel production, and indirect negative effect on US high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) production. EU sugar and isoglucose production expand along with US ethanol and biodiesel and oilseed crushing. EU sugar would flow to the US, US biofuels and vegetable oil to the EU. We further quantify non‐tariff measures (NTM) affecting these trade flows between the EU and the US. EU oilseed production contracts, and EU crushing expands with improving crushing margins following reduced NTM frictions. Our analysis reveals limited net welfare gains with most net benefits reaped by Brazil and not the two trading partners of the TTIP.     

Underwriter Lock-up Releases, Initial Public Offerings and After-market Performance

The lock‐up agreement between an underwriter and an issuing firm's principals prohibits sale of securities for a period of time following the offering date. Investment banks must support the stock following an offering. The lock‐up assures investors that the restricted shares will not enter the market, at least for a period of time. Negative abnormal returns prior to the lock‐up release show that unrestricted investors liquidate positions prior to the scheduled lock‐up release. Negative abnormal returns are more robust for firms that are not influenced by SEC Rule 144 than for firms that are.     

Forecasting upon a star: Forecasting or wishful thinking?

The purpose of this paper was to perform a detailed analysis of the challenges faced while developing and using econometric models to forecast future transportation demand. To this end, a comparative analysis of the state of practice and state of the art was undertaken on a concrete example – Viracopos Airport in Brazil. A review of relevant technical and scientific literature identified a number of approaches and each representative example was synthesized into a specification “template”. We then compared the performance of each “template” with the observed demand, through an intra-series forecast. A general finding was that econometric model specifications proved to be somewhat homogenous and simpler in nature, with results indicating a relatively small difference in fit and forecast capability across models. Even with the elimination of what is typically considered the main culprit for deviations – the forecast uncertainty of the explanatory (input) variables – the forecast is still subject to sizeable deviation. To address this issue, we proposed developing some sanity check indexes, particularly relevant for long-term forecasts. We conclude that the challenges faced at the Viracopos Airport Concession were far from econometric ones, that the success of the demand forecast and the concession itself required more than a well estimated econometric model. Finally, regarding investment obligations within the concession agreement, we strongly recommend making them conditional to meeting demand milestones, given the inherent unpredictability in forecasts.     

China's Anti‐dumping Problems and Mitigation through Regional Trade Agreements

The present paper explores the opportunities for China's regional trade agreement (RTA) initiatives to mitigate its anti‐dumping problems. The paper highlights the severity and discriminatory nature of China's anti‐dumping problems. The high concentration of the share of anti‐dumping actions taken by the top 4 and top 8 anti‐dumping initiators is noted. Our finding of a weak effect of existing RTAs on mitigating China's anti‐dumping problems supports the argument that China could become more active in mitigating anti‐dumping problems through RTA negotiations. An RTA can include a higher level of openness in exchange for an improvement in regional anti‐dumping provisions. Case studies on RTAs involving the EU, the USA and India offer some precedents for offering inducements and modifying regional anti‐dumping provisions. The approaches for China may lie in obtaining market economy status from intensive anti‐dumping initiators at RTA levels and also altering regional anti‐dumping provisions that could be put in place in exchange for some potential concessions.     

FRA在我国商业银行应用中的风险控制

本文从FRA自身可能产生风险的视角而非传统利率风险管理过程的角度,分析了FRA在制度设计、参考利率选择、报价品种等方面存在的诸多风险因素,并在此基础上提出加强对我国FRA风险控制的对策,避免商业银行应用FRA进行风险管理时遭受风险,提高风险管理水平。