China's agricultural growth in the past two decades has been called a miracle. An analysis of the sources of this miraculous growth is the focus of the present volume. In addition, this book also investigates the impact of economic reforms on agriculture, the potential of grain production in China, and regional disparities in agricultural production and growth performance. This book adds to the literature and contributes to the current debates on food security and rural development.

This study by Shenggen Fan makes three important and original contributions. It is the first study to report regional patterns of productivity growth in Chinese agriculture. There have been dramatic differences in output and productivity growth among Chinese regions. The second contribution is to measure the separate effects of technical change and institutional reform on productivity growth. Much of the rapid growth in agricultural production and in productivity since the late 1970s has been a consequence of an important series of institutional reforms. The third contribution is the first test of the induced innovation hypothesis against experience in a centrally planned economy. Regional patterns of productivity growth are consistent with the hypothesis that the path of technical change has been responsive to regional differences in resource endowments.

This volume is written primarily for agricultural economists doing research on productivity. It includes discussions of the theoretical underpinnings of productivity measurement as well as the many practical considerations that go into translating this theory into actual measures of aggregated outputs and inputs. The unifying concept of agricultural productivity used across the chapters of this volume is aggregate total factor productivity (TFP) of the sector. The volume also contains detailed analysis of the underlying causes of agricultural productivity growth. Part I (chapters 2-6) examines agricultural productivity in high-income and transition countries. Part II (chapters 7-11) examines agricultural productivity growth and its driving forces in five important agricultural producers in Asia and Latin America. Part III (chapters 12-14) focuses on measuring and identifying constraints to agricultural productivity growth in sub-Saharan Africa. Part IV (chapters 15-16) gives a global perspective on agricultural productivity.

This study by Shenggen Fan makes three important and original contributions. It is the first study to report regional patterns of productivity growth in Chinese agriculture. There have been dramatic differences in output and productivity growth among Chinese regions. The second contribution is to measure the separate effects of technical change and institutional reform on productivity growth. Much of the rapid growth in agricultural production and in productivity since the late 1970s has been a consequence of an important series of institutional reforms. The third contribution is the first test of the induced innovation hypothesis against experience in a centrally planned economy. Regional patterns of productivity growth are consistent with the hypothesis that the path of technical change has been responsive to regional differences in resource endowments.

China has enjoyed unprecedented high economic growth for three decades. This growth has however been unbalanced and has led to some serious consequences which Chinese policy makers are now trying to rectify. One of the consequences is the deterioration of regional disparity which is threatening the stability of the Chinese society and hence the sustainability of current high economic growth in the country. This edited volume on China's regional development and economic growth is hence timely and contains a collection of the latest research reports in this field. The authors represent a distinguished group of economists in Australia, China, Japan and Vietnam who are actively engaged in research of the Chinese economy. The topics addressed in the chapters cover important regional issues such as inequality, distribution of the creative class, FDI and industrial policies. Specifically, this volume aims to examine selected issues associated with China's regional development, economic growth and FDI, and China and its neighboring economies. The findings will contribute to current economic policy debates.

This book approaches the issue of rural-urban inequality through fieldwork conducted in a specific township (Zuogang) in Qinggang County, part of Heilongjiang Province in northeastern China. Presenting painstaking fieldwork in a single location, it successfully illuminates fundamental aspects of the reality and the complexity of rural-urban inequality that cannot be found in macro-level studies, most of which are prepared by economists. The book offers a unique combination of rigorous economic analysis with insightful social and anthropological analysis, as well as revealing interviews with local government officials. This approach provides a rich tapestry of rural perceptions of rural-urban inequality. With in-depth analysis and empirical evidence on questions concerning the development and root causes of urban-rural disparities, the book significantly enriches our understanding of the widely discussed issue of rural-urban income inequality, but from the unique perspective of rural China.

This book identifies the main challenges Chinese agriculture is confronting and considers how these challenges might be met. The performance of China's agricultural production is comprehensively assessed while the factors that affect agricultural productivity are examined through detailed econometric analysis and up to date nationally representative data.

The current growth of the Chinese economy is of immense importance for the global economy. This book outlines the main characteristics of Chinese economic growth over the last two decades, and investigates in detail the key determinants of growth, especially capital formation and productivity issues. It goes on to examine the important related questions of employment and underemployment, regional disparity, and economic integration, exploring in detail how far economic integration has taken place in south China, including the economies of Hong Kong and Taiwan, and how far this integration has been a determinant of economic growth. The book makes comparisons with other East Asian economies, and concludes with a consideration of the prospects for continuing growth in the twenty-first century.

This title was first published in 2003. This prominent and commanding volume collates the best research available on China's agricultural trade. Critically analyzing the agricultural supply and demand factors that underlie trade patterns such as agricultural productivity and policy, it also explores China's agricultural trade and policy including implications for China and elsewhere. Long term issues and productivity growth are taken into consideration, as are specific issues such as WTO accession. The slate of authors combines the leading established scholars in the field and the best of the next generation, including those from China and the West.

China's rapid rise to become the world's second largest economy has resulted in an unprecedented impact on the global system and an urgent need to understand the more about the newest economic superpower. The Routledge Handbook of the Chinese Economy is an advanced-level reference guide which surveys the current economic situation in China and its integration into the global economy. An internationally renowned line-up of scholars contribute chapters on the key components of the contemporary economy and their historical foundations. Topics covered include: the history of the Chinese economy from ancient times onwards; economic growth and development; population, the labor market, income distribution, and poverty; legal, political, and financial institutions; and foreign trade and investments. Offering a cutting-edge overview of the Chinese economy, the Handbook is an invaluable resource for academics, researchers, economists, graduate, and undergraduate students studying this ever-evolving field.