nep-cna New Economics Papers
on China
Issue of 2006‒09‒23
five papers chosen by
Zheng Fang
Ohio State University

  1. Patent Laws and Innovation in China By Linda Y. Yueh
  2. Asymmetric property rights in China's economic growth By Zhang, Xiaobo
  3. Village inequality in Western China: Implications for Development Strategy in Lagging Regions By Xing, Li; Fan, Shenggen; Luo, Xiaopeng; Zhang, Xiaobo
  4. Angel or Devil? China's Trade Impact on Latin American Emerging Markets By Jorge Blázquez-Lidoy; Javier Rodríguez
  5. Macroeconomic Effects of Fiscal Policies: Empirical Evidence from Bangladesh, China, Indonesia and the Philippines By Geoffrey Ducanes; Marie Anne Cagas; Duo Qin; Pilipinas Quising; Mohammad Abdur Razzaque

  1. By: Linda Y. Yueh
    Abstract: This paper explores whether the patent law and intellectual property rights (IPR) system have resulted in innovation in China during the reform period. It appears that the patent laws have produced a stock of patents, where the success rates of patent applications are fairly uniform across the country. As the IPR framework does not vary across provinces, we asked which factors would explain innovation in China. We find the main determinants of patents to be R&D expenditure and foreign direct investment, but not the number of researchers, though the level of human capital matters. We conclude that the patent laws in China have been associated with innovation that has accompanied economic growth despite imperfections in the legal system.
    Keywords: Intellectual Property Rights, Patent Laws, Law and Economics, Innovation, Economic Growth, China
    JEL: O34 K29 O4 O53 K19
    Date: 2006
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:oxf:wpaper:271&r=cna
  2. By: Zhang, Xiaobo
    Abstract: "This paper highlights the difference between secure investor property rights and loosely defined individual property rights. Globalization and fiscal decentralization have intensified this difference. On the one hand, in the presence of mobile foreign direct investments and under the arrangement of fiscal decentralization, local governments compete vigorously to offer various protections on the property rights of investors; on the other hand, local governments and developers attempt to acquire land at as low price as possible by taking advantage of the loopholes inherent in the Chinese law. Secure investor property rights together with weak protections on individuals' land property rights is argued to be one of the major drivers of China's rapid economic growth. But the same factor can veer those individuals being deprived of land into violence and social unrest, which may undermine China's social stability and long-term sustainable growth." from Authors' Abstract
    Keywords: Property rights, Investments, economic growth, China, individual land property, Fiscal policies, Decentralization,
    Date: 2006
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:fpr:dsgddp:28&r=cna
  3. By: Xing, Li; Fan, Shenggen; Luo, Xiaopeng; Zhang, Xiaobo
    Abstract: "Increased regional inequality has been a major concern in many emerging economies like China, India, Vietnam and Thailand. However, even a large inequality is observed within the lagging regions. The objective of this paper is to look into what are the sources of within region inequality using the community surveys and a census type of households in Western China. This snapshot view of inequality within and between rural villages in western China is based on a census-type household survey in three administrative villages and a sampling survey of 286 natural villages in the poor province of Guizhou in 2004. In contrast to coastal regions, nonfarm income is distributed unevenly in this inland western region. This accounts for the largest share of overall income inequality. But agriculture is still the rural people's major source of livelihood in this particular location. On the expenditure side, health care is one of the most important sources of inequality. Because rural income is strongly related to human capital, the uneven access to health care will translate into a larger income gap in the long run. The analysis based on the natural village survey indicates that income varies widely across villages. Access to infrastructure and markets, education, and political participation explain most of this variation. These findings have important implications on the future development strategy in promoting lagging regions development and poverty reduction. While the overall economic development will be the main instrument to bring the majority poor out of poverty, a targeted approach has become increasingly crucial in helping the poor villages and households. It is critical to understand why these villages and households can not participate in the growth process and how development programs and various transfer programs help them to overcome the constraints they face." Authors' Abstract
    Keywords: Rural development, Poverty reduction, Inequality, Public investment, China, Asia, Household surveys, Agriculture, Income Rural areas,
    Date: 2006
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:fpr:dsgddp:31&r=cna
  4. By: Jorge Blázquez-Lidoy; Javier Rodríguez
    Abstract: China’s economy has expanded by leaps and bounds, with dazzling progress since it first opened to foreign investment and reform in 1978. Over the last 25 years and after a long period of economic autarky, the country has emerged as a major player in world trade. Its accession to the World Trade Organisation (WTO) in 2001 was a milestone. China presents both a threat and an opportunity for Latin American emerging markets. On average and despite some exceptions, Latin America is a clear trade winner from Chinese global integration. This contribution studies China’s exporting and importing structure, using a database of 620 different goods. It builds two indices of trade competition to compare Chinese impacts over 1998-2004 on 34 economies, of which 15 are Latin American. The results generally confirm that there is no relevant trade competition between China and Latin America. Not surprisingly, countries that export mainly commodities face lower competition, because China is a net importer of raw materials. But the emergence of China is also a wake-up call for Latin American countries. More reforms are needed, especially in infrastructures if the region wishes to maintain its comparative advantages. Latin America will have also to deal with the Chinese bonanza. The dark side of this windfall is the risk of being stuck out of the global value chain in a raw material corner. <BR>L’économie de la Chine s’est développée à pas de géants, en progressant de manière spectaculaire depuis qu’elle a commencé à s’ouvrir aux investissements étrangers et s’est réformée en 1978. Tout au long des 25 dernières années et suite à une longue période d’autarcie économique, le pays s’est imposé en tant qu’acteur majeur du commerce mondial. Son adhésion à l’Organisation Mondiale du Commerce (OMC) en 2001 a été un événement de taille. Ainsi, la Chine représente à la fois une menace et une opportunité pour les marchés émergents d’Amérique latine. En moyenne et en dépit de certaines exceptions, l’Amérique latine fait partie des gagnants de l’intégration globale de la Chine. Ce document étudie les structures d’importation et d’exportation de la Chine, en s’appuyant sur une base de données composée de 620 biens. Deux indices de compétitivité commerciale ont été élaborés afin de comparer les impacts de la Chine sur 34 économies tout au long de la période 1998-2004, 15 d’entre elles étant des économies latino-américaines. De manière générale, les résultats confirment qu’il n’y a pas de concurrence importante entre la Chine et l’Amérique latine. Mais l’émergence de la Chine appelle aussi les pays latino-américains à se réveiller. Si la région souhaite maintenir ses avantages comparatifs, d’autres réformes sont nécessaires, en particulier au niveau des infrastructures.
    Date: 2006–06–29
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:oec:devaaa:252-en&r=cna
  5. By: Geoffrey Ducanes (University of the Philippines); Marie Anne Cagas (Asian Development Bank and University of the Philippines); Duo Qin (Queen Mary, University of London and Asian Development Bank); Pilipinas Quising (Asian Development Bank); Mohammad Abdur Razzaque (University of Dhaka, Bangladesh)
    Abstract: This paper studies macroeconomic effects of fiscal policies in four Asian countries – Bangladesh, China, Indonesia, and the Philippines – by means of structural macroeconometric model simulations. It is found that short-term fiscal multipliers from an untargeted increase in government expenditure are positive but much less than those from an increased expenditure targeted to capital spending. The multiplier effects from fiscal expansion via a tax rate reduction are found to be typically much less than through higher spending. The effectiveness of automatic stabilizers in general, and more specifically whether expenditure or tax-side stabilizer is more effective, differs across countries.
    Keywords: Fiscal policy, Growth, Public finance, Deficit
    JEL: E62 E17 C53 P52
    Date: 2006–09
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:qmw:qmwecw:wp564&r=cna

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