Regional Productivity Growth In China S Agriculture

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'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.

China’s growth potential has become a hotly debated topic as the economy has reached an income level susceptible to the “middle-income trap” and financial vulnerabilities are mounting after years of rapid credit expansion. However, the existing literature has largely focused on macro level aggregates, which are ill suited to understanding China’s significant structural transformation and its impact on economic growth. To fill the gap, this paper takes a deep dive into China’s convergence progress in 38 industrial sectors and 11 services sectors, examines past sectoral transitions, and predicts future shifts. We find that China’s productivity convergence remains at an early stage, with the industrial sector more advanced than services. Large variations exist among subsectors, with high-tech industrial sectors, in particular the ICT sector, lagging low-tech sectors. Going forward, ample room remains for further convergence, but the shrinking distance to the frontier, the structural shift from industry to services, and demographic changes will put sustained downward pressure on growth, which could slow to 5 percent by 2025 and 4 percent by 2030. Digitalization, SOE reform, and services sector opening up could be three major forces boosting future growth, while the risks of a financial crisis and a reversal in global integration in trade and technology could slow the pace of convergence.

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 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.

Although the successful economic transformation and reform of China since the 1970s could be regarded as a triumph in human history, China has now entered into the New Normal Era and encountered some slow-down in recent years. The perspective of China's growth under the New Normal Era is relevant for both the domestic and global economies. As the third instalment of ACI's annual tracking of the dynamics of competitiveness for Greater China, this volume includes the rankings and simulation results at both the provincial and regional levels. These offer insights for policy-makers, industry leaders and other stakeholders in identifying challenges and opportunities for sound decision-making. As an important part in determining the success of China's structural change, agricultural productivity is also discussed in detail. Quantitative research is conducted to estimate the agricultural total factor productivity at the provincial level. This provides policy recommendations to help China achieve self-sufficiency in terms of agricultural products.