With its per capita income surpassing US$10,000, China has now drawn up ambitious plans to further lift its income to the level of developed countries. Yet various constraints need to be overcome if China is to build on the achievements of the last 40 years and further boost its growth potential. Besides these constraints, the year 2020 saw human societies hit heavily by the COVID-19 pandemic and the global economy caught off guard and dipped into recessions caused by lockdown measures for controlling the spread of the pandemic. Nations around the world have experienced grave loss of human life and lockdown measures have knocked economies from their normal growth trajectories. Even as the pandemic continues to unfold, all signs point to China as being the first major economy to have emerged out of the crisis. But many questions remain. Has the Chinese economy emerged from the pandemic crisis relatively unscathed? What are the long-term prospects for its economy? This year’s Update book, China’s Challenges in Moving towards a High-income Economy, explores the challenges faced by the Chinese economy in the transition towards a high-income economy, including agricultural development, finance and fiscal system reform, RMB internationalisation, trends in urbanisation, as well as topics related to innovation, corporate sector development and market competition. China’s growth experience has been full of exciting changes and important lessons for reform and structural changes, and this year’s China Update is again the way to gain insights into these.

The Chinese economy is currently undergoing fundamental changes. In this context, the 2022 China Update examines the key characteristics of China’s transition towards a new phase of economic growth and development. This year’s update book covers a range of diverse topics that reflect the complex and changing nature of the economy. It explores critical questions: Why does China need a new development paradigm, and what is the best way to achieve it? What are China’s choices when faced with the restructuring of global industrial value chains? What key roles will domestic consumption play in the next phase of China’s development? What does the digital transformation mean for the Chinese economy? What has been the domestic impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on income inequality and labour market outcomes? What pathways exist for China in its transition towards carbon neutrality? How does China’s emissions-trading market compare with that of Europe? How will China’s carbon neutrality strategy affect the Australian economy? What are the political factors influencing bilateral trade flows between China and its trading partners? And what is at stake for China–US relations?

Business Groups and the Thailand Economy examines the role of business groups, specifically state, local, and foreign capitals in the economic development of emerging economies and highlights why business groups are essential in helping a country break out of the middle-income trap. Wailerdsak reviews Thailand’s industrial and economic growth strategies through the local and international investors and explains why business groups are one of the key drivers of economic advancement and why they help to avoid the middle-income trap. The author also examines their business power expansion methods, including selection and specialization, political influence, mergers and acquisitions, outward FDI and business alliances. The book concludes with policy recommendations of how the government can engage business groups to accelerate high-tech industrialization and create jobs. The middle-income trap issue faced by Thailand would be of interest to many emerging economies, especially scholars and policymakers researching on Asian business and management, Asian economies, developmental economics, political economy, policy studies, corporate governance, entrepreneurship, and private company strategic management in emerging countries.

This book examines the statistics of the G-20 members with the goal of providing an analysis of their economic policies, with a particular emphasis on the financial dynamics of each country's Balance of Payments, in order to offer a framework for better understanding where we are headed in an era of great economic and geopolitical reconfiguration. Furthermore, it delves into the current challenges to the US-led monopolar world that emerged after the collapse of the Soviet Union, beginning with the rise of China and India alongside Russia, and their potential role in reshaping the global financial system. The focus also extends to South America, where economies such as Brazil and Argentina are navigating complex relationships with traditional allies and emerging global powers. Africa's position in this evolving landscape is also analyzed, highlighting its growing autonomy as exemplified by the African Union's inclusion in the G-20. Furthermore, the Middle East is undergoing a remarkable geopolitical shift, undoubtedly representing another node of power in the emerging economic chessboard. These geopolitical dynamics are further complicated by major global events, including the 2008 global financial crisis, the Eurozone sovereign debt crisis, the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, and the Russo-Ukrainian conflict in 2022. Pressing challenges are also posed by the climate emergency, highlighting its direct impact on productivity and migration patterns. Finally, this book seeks to contribute to a nuanced understanding of the current economic realities of key global actors and their complex interplay with geopolitical choices. Based on a scholarly approach, the analysis provides insights into the complex and evolving global order.

This book argues that China must become an innovation-based economy to avoid the middle-income traps, and examines both the opportunities and challenges in meeting this goal.

Globalization and Development is a "cross-national study" on the "interstate dispersion" of the impacts (on growth, inequality and poverty) that international economic integration provides to the economies of the developing countries. In order to present the "Leading Issues in Development with Globalization" in a balanced manner, to identify differences and commonalities among "Country Experiences" in development with globalization, and to introduce diversified development paradigms with forward-looking discussions "In Search of a New Development Paradigm" for the post-MDGs era, this publication consists of three volumes and four main parts. Volume III (Part IV) presents the diversified development paradigms such as the GNH (Bhutan), the sufficiency economy (Thailand), the reform and opening up paradigm (China), the African and Latin American paradigms, and the Islamic development paradigm. The Concluding Chapter presents the evolution of development paradigms in the global development cooperation community after World War II, and then offers a glimpse into new development paradigms for the post-MDG era. This book intends to serve as a unique and comprehensive guide for those in the international development community on the subjects of diversified development paradigms/paths under globalization and other challenges in the post-MDG era.

This book brings together leading international scholars and leading scholars from China’s highly prestigious Development Research Centre of the State Council of the People’s Republic of China, who all put forward their insights into the current challenges for the Chinese and the world economy. The book focuses on six topics: economic growth, trade, industry and services, innovation, finance, and environment and ecology, all of which are central to the sustainable economic growth of China and the world. Overall, the book provides balanced perspectives as well as rich empirical evidence from China and other parts of the world on the development and regulation of the Chinese and the world economy.

Through a rigorous examination of “China’s rise”, Lee addresses an important question—Did China catch up? Or more specifically, can growth be automatically translated to catching up with the advanced industrialised countries or has it only allowed limited progress (if any) to be made? To answer these queries and the broader question of the possibility of the Global South converging with the Global North, four development theories are utilised, with competing explanations, to uncover the complexity and multifaceted development of China. This includes whether China really has a unique developmental model to offer. Positioning China within the global economy, this book traces its developmental progress over time as well as its progress relative to other countries. To understand whether the Chinese political economy is socialist (or not), Lee moves away from the orthodox definition of socialism and instead examines the official narrative of Socialism with Chinese Characteristics. Lastly, this book argues that though China is catching up, challenges that could potentially block China’s progress for a full catch‐up are to be anticipated. A useful resource for students and scholars in the fields of international relations, international political economy, Chinese studies, and development studies.

This book explores the dynamic process of International Division of Labor with constant development and changes. The process reflects not only the development level of productivity, but also relations between countries. What would be the evolution path for the International Division of Labor? How to improve China's and emerging economies' competitiveness to meet the new industrial revolution? The book aims to answer the questions under the global context. China would explore the innovation in new economic forms to strengthen international cooperation and avoid the intensified trade frictions brought about by its industrial upgrading.