Prepared by the East Asian Institute, NUS, which promotes research on East Asian developments particularly the political, economic and social development of contemporary China (including Hong Kong and Taiwan), this series of research reports is intended for policy makers and readers who want to keep abreast of the latest developments in China. Contains two articles: 'China's Economy in 1997' and 'Will China be the Next Financial Dominoe?'

An examination of the political and economic causes and consequences of the Asian financial crises.

The nature of the economic cycle has been a long-standing problem for economists. Key questions include: What are the causes of the economic cycle? Are the causes endogenous or exogenous? and Why is the economic cycle irregular? This book explores the theory of the economic cycle in relation to economic growth in China. The book concludes that the cause of the economic cycle is endogenous, that the periodic fluctuation of economic growth and its dynamic equilibrium are natural aspects of the growth of the economy, and it puts forward a new model of the economic cycle which confidently predicts the future trajectory of China’s economic growth.

In the summer of 1997, a tidal wave of economic problems swept across Asia. Currencies plummeted, banks failed, GNP stagnated, unemployment soared, and exports stalled. In short, the vaunted "Asian Economic Miracle" became the "Asian Economic Crisis"—with serious repercussions for nations and markets around the world. While the headlines are still fresh, a group of experts on the region presents the first account to focus on the political causes and implications of the crisis. The events of 1997–98 involved not just property values, financial flows, portfolio makeup, and debt ratios, they argue, but also the power relationships that shaped those economic indicators.As they examine the domestic, regional, and international politics that underlay the economic collapse, the authors analyze the reasons why the crisis affected the nations of Asia in radically different ways. The authors also consider whether the crisis indicates a radical change in Asia's economic future.

In the wake of the global financial crisis, Asia is leading the global recovery with strong economic growth. However, this book argues that, in the coming years, the region will need to play a much more active role in shaping the future global financial system and, in turn, suggests policy strategies for doing so. Asian Financial Integration explores the lessons we can learn from Asia’s experience during the global financial crisis in terms of the future direction of the region’s economic policy and the challenges posed by the opening and deepening of its financial markets. The contributors deal with a number of crucial questions, including what Asia should learn from the crisis, especially with regards to financial innovation and regulation; whether global imbalances are a result of policy distortions or a natural outcome of global division of labour; what are the lessons and implications from the financial market reform and liberalization experiences of some of the region’s major economies; and what should Asia do to promote regional financial integration, particularly with regards to currency integration. This book will be welcomed by students and scholars interested in Asian economics and international economics, as well as by policy-makers working in the field.

This work focuses on the theme of twin transitions occuring in the Chinese economy: the transition from a centrally planned economic system to a market orientated one, and from an agrarian to a modern industrialized society. This book covers developments in the macroeconomy; productivity and reform of state-owned enterprises; issues of international trade such as the management of the exchange rate; the pattern of exports and the development of e-commerce; and problems in the agricultural sector and the environment.

In the last two decades of the 20th century, China stood out as the world''s star performer in economic growth, thanks to the market-oriented reform that started in 1978. At the turn of the century, the Chinese economy faces a series of challenges to sustain its growth and stability. The two-decade-long rapid growth has effectively strengthened China''s economic power and raised its people''s standard of living. It has also transformed China from a centrally planned command economy into a OC socialist market economyOCO, which operates increasingly in line with capitalist norms. Major structural problems, however, remain and are growing acute. Weakness in the fiscal system breeds rent seeking at the local level and causes tension in the state budget. The flawed financial institutions and the biased ownership structure continue to distort resource allocation and cause huge efficiency losses. Inter-provincial and inter-regional disparity is reaching a level that threatens national unity and social stability. As China joins the World Trade Organization and becomes more integrated into the world economy, it urgently needs to improve the domestic business environment and to beef up indigenous industries for foreign competition.This volume is a collection of papers written by scholars at the East Asian Institute to address those problems during the period 1999OCo2001. The authors, with their knowledge and experience in China studies, provide in-depth observations and professional analyses of some of the most important issues for the Chinese economy at the turn of the century. Some of the observations and analyses lead to enlightening policy recommendations. The solid scholarship combined with the policy orientation of these papers will appeal greatly to researchers in academia, governments and other institutions. The policy-oriented and fact-based analyses will also be of interest to practitioners in business, including business consultants."

This volume is the outgrowth of a conference held at Peking University in May 2002, jointly sponsored by the American Committee on Asian Economic Studies, the Peking University School of Economics, and the China Reform Forum. The contributors include leading scholars from Asia as well as specialists on Asia from the US, Europe, and Australia. The book delves into issues of trade and investment, exchange rates and macroeconomic policy, and preferential trade agreements and other forms of economic cooperation. The overall message is one of regional dynamism animated by concerted efforts to build a favorable institutional environment. China is a great motivating force in this dynamism and a key player in the development of regional agreements.

The authors are to be congratulated for a book that provides a comprehensive and vigorous analysis of many pressing environmental issues which China faces now and will face in the future. The book will be of interest to a broad audience, and is a must-read for and should be on the book shelf of anyone concerned about and attempting to understand environmental issues related to agriculture, water, industry, energy production and use, investment and development in China. Zhongxiang Zhang, The China Journal Over the past two decades, China has become an economic powerhouse. However, as the world s largest producer of CO2 emissions, the scale and seriousness of China s environmental problems are clearly evident. This pioneering book provides an economic analysis of the significant environmental and energy problems facing China in the 21st century. Chinese Economic Development and the Environment measures productivity, taking into account energy resources and environmental attributes that are central to sustaining economies. Applying an integrated model of energy production, transformation and consumption processes, the authors investigate the underlying driving forces behind trends in CO2 emissions in relation to the total primary energy supply. Exploring the history and development of China s economic, energy and environmental policy, this book will strongly appeal to postgraduate students in economics and environmental studies. It will also be beneficial for practitioners and policy-makers interested in understanding how successful market and environmental policies can contribute to efficiency by encouraging, rather than inhibiting, technological innovation.