Personal Income Tax Reform in China in 2018 and Its Impact on Income Distribution

In the context of personal income tax (PIT) reform in China in 2018, this paper examines some of the major issues of concern regarding the reform and income distribution. Using the China Personal Income Tax Micro‐simulation model, the paper compares the differences between the 2011 and 2018 PIT systems, and finds that residents relying on different income sources may face a large degree of real tax rate change. Once the tax system is altered to PIT 2018, the coverage of PIT for wage earners will decrease from 46.9 to 23.4 percent, the income redistributive effect will drop from 1.95 to 1.22 percent and the PIT's role in fiscal revenue will also be negatively affected. Nevertheless, if individual income continues to grow, the share of PIT in fiscal revenue is expected to return to the 2018 level in 2022, but its income redistribution function is difficult to recover in the short term. The paper finds that the effect of PIT on income distribution depends on the tax structure. Gradual transition to an “entirely comprehensive” tax system when conditions are appropriate will achieve better income redistribution results at a lower average tax rate.     

New development: China renews reform of central–local fiscal relations and provides for basic national public services

China’s reform on central–local fiscal reform has slowed down in recent years. The appointment of a new finance minister experienced in local government affairs is expected to renew the reform affirmed by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) congress in late 2017. China has unprecedentedly identified a comprehensive list of 81 national basic public services as entitlements. Eighteen of them are subject to national and local standards, and co-financed by central and local governments. A new cost-sharing method for 10 of these services classifies sub-national jurisdictions into five tiers, in which the central government’s share declines from 80% to 10%. These measures, effective in 2019, aim at creating a ‘harmonious and moderately prosperous society’.     

Policy induced increases in private healthcare financing provide short-term relief of total healthcare expenditure growth: Evidence from OECD countries

Healthcare reforms have long been advocated as a cure to the increasing healthcare expenditures in advanced economies. Nevertheless, it has not been established whether a market solution via private financing, rather than public financing, curb aggregate healthcare expenditures. To our knowledge, this paper is the first that quantifies the impact of reforms that significantly increases (decreases) the private (public) share of healthcare financing on total healthcare expenditures relative to income in 20 OECD countries. Our reform measure is based on structural break testing of the private share of total expenditures, and verification using evidence of policy reforms. To quantify the effect of these reforms we apply Propensity Score Matching and Inverse Probability Weighted regression analysis. Over a 5-year evaluation period the reforms lead to an accumulated cost saving 0.45 percentage points of GDP. The yearly effects of the reforms are largest in the first years in the post-reform period and decreases in size as a function of time since the reform. Our findings suggest that the investigated healthcare reforms have a relatively short-lived effect on aggregate health spending relative to GDP. The findings are robust to various sensitivity tests.     

Will China's WTO accession worsen farm household incomes?

Many fear China's accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO) will impoverish its farmers via greater import competition in its agricultural markets. We explore that possibility bearing in mind that, even if producer prices of some (land-intensive) farm products fall, prices of other (labor-intensive) farm and nonfarm products could rise. New estimates, from the global, economy-wide numerical simulation model known as Global Trade Analysis Project (GTAP), of the likely changes in agricultural and other product prices as a result of WTO accession, are drawn on to examine empirically the real income implications of China's WTO accession. The results suggest farm–nonfarm income inequality may well rise within China but rural–urban income inequality need not. The article concludes with some policy suggestions for alleviating any pockets of farm household poverty that may emerge as a result of WTO accession.     

State-owned enterprises going public The case of China

Public listing is a key reform measure for large state‐owned enterprises (SOEs) in China. We find evidence that public listing lowers state ownership significantly, lessens firms’ reliance on debt finance, and allows firms to increase capital expenditure, at least temporarily. We also find that ownership structure affects post‐listing performance. However, we find no statistical evidence of a positive effect of public listing on firms’ profitability. We suggest alternative interpretations of the last finding.     

基础力学课程教学改革的研究与实践

该文在深入分析基础力学各相关课程相互关系的基础上，认为基础力学课程的改革，应该优化组合备相关课程内容，减少重复内容，形成新的教学体系；应该在教学手段上注意现代化教学手段与传统教学手段的结合，激发学生的学习兴趣，提高课堂的效率；也强调实验环节的重要性，要注重学生动手能力的培养。     

精品课程建设漫谈

精品课程要求具有一流教师队伍、一流教学内容、一流教学方法、一流教材、一流放学管理等特点。精品课程建设，就是以现代教育思想为先导，以建设相应层次的、具有较强针对性和适用性的优秀教材为核心，以提高师资队伍素质为前提，以教学内容现代化为基础，以现代信息技术手段为平台，以科学的管理体制为保障。是集观念、师资、内容、技术、方法、制度于一身的整体建设。     

教育产权概念解析

文章在分析教育产权客观存在的基础上,对教育产权的含义和内容进行了分析。文章认为,教育产权是参与教育活动的组织和个人围绕教育财产而形成的一组权利关系。从内容上看,教育产权是包括对教育财产的狭义所有权或归属权、占有权、使用权、收益权,以及处分权在内的权利集合。     

深化乡镇综合改革难点研究

乡镇机构人员膨胀是当前农民负担过重的主要原因之一。而20多年来乡镇机构减而复胀且日益严重,成为改革的难点。乡镇职能错位、各类机构关系不顺、社会改革不配套,还有行政机构中客观存在的“帕金森定律”,是乡镇机构改革难点形成的深层原因。深化乡镇综合改革的远期目标是实现乡镇自治,而近期目标则是以转变职能为核心,调整政府管理体制;实现乡镇机构的功能整合;同时可以实行政府职能“外包”;还要加强机构编制的法治管理。     

关于浙北地区城乡供水一体化问题的研究——以H县为例

对浙北地区县域范围内城乡供水现状进行了分析，指出：要实现自来水供应一体化，面临着行政管理体制和水务运作体制方面的问题，并对解决这两方面的问题提出了对策。