Supply-Side Structural Reforms and China's Potential Economic Growth Rate

This paper examines the effect of supply-side structural reforms on China＇s potential economic growth rate in the coming decade according to the data the authors have gathered. Under the rapid growth scenario with the implementation of supply-side structural reforms, China＇s potential economic growth rate will reach an average of 6.5% and 5.8% respectively in the 13th Five-year Plan （2016-2020） and 14th Five-year Plan （2021-2025） periods. These rates are 0.2 and 0.3 percentage points higher, respectively, than that under the baseline scenario with the inertia of historic trends. In implementing supply-side structural reforms, China must transform governmental functions, break monopolies, create a comprehensive competitive market environment, foster the creation of pro-innovation mechanisms, refocus on quality and efficiency, and raise capital utilization and labor productivity.

China's Infrastructure Development and Supply-Side Structural Reforms

Despite significant improvements in transport, energy and information communication technology （ICT） infrastructures, inadequacies still exist in China＇s infrastructure development in light of emerging demand and industrial transition and upgrade. China lags far behind advanced economies such as the United States, Germany and Japan in terms of the quality of transport infrastructures except railroad,＂ electricity infrastructure is insufficient and service efficiency needs improvement; ICT infrastructure requires all-round upgrade and gaps in Internet bandwidth are striking. This paper suggests that, based on the needs of supply-side structural reform, China must reform its investment and financing systems to enhance the efficiency of infrastructure investment. Efforts must be made to enhance air transport and port infrastructure to support industrial upgrade; to develop the energy Internet to address emerging demands; and to forge a new generation of ICT infrastructure with industrial Internet as the priority to prepare China for the new round of industrial competition.

Research on the Current Condition of College Tourism Personnel Training Mode and Vocational Education Reforms

In this paper, we conduct research on the current condition of college tourism personnel training mode and vocational education reforms. Paying attention to the current social development innovation spirit, how to make students possess the necessary ability to innovate, is this the prime problem of the education. A lot of highly educated personnel in order to better adapt to social development and changes, constantly to learn knowledge, also has the characteristics of vocational college students. Our research combines the characteristics of the college tourism personnel training mode with the education reform which will enhance the performance of the teaching process.

Supply-Side Structural Reforms of China's Industries

Supply-side structural reforms are structural adjustments and institutional reforms to address the mismatch between supply and demand and improve TFP. The mismatch is exhibited at the supply side and arises from structural contradictions and must be addressed through reforms. Supply-side structural reforms can be analyzed at the levels of firms, industries and government to arrive at theoretical and systematic conclusions that offer practical guidance. Based on this perspective, this paper proposes policy recommendations on how to deal with zombie firms, reduce cost for manufacturing companies, deepen SOE reforms, eliminate overcapacity, implement ＂Made in China 2025＂ and Internet＋ strategies, promote Beijing-l^anjin-Hebei integrated development, as well as develop the Yangtze River Economic Belt and the old industrial bases of the northeast.

Will Market-Oriented Reforms Propel Technology Progress?Empirical Evidence from China’s High-Tech Sectors

This paper aims to explore the effects of market-oriented reforms on industrial technology progress.Based on a theoretical analysis,we performed an empirical study with a marketization index and panel data of high-tech sectors in China.We found that market-oriented reforms had significantly propelled technology progress in China’s high-tech sectors,and the effects became more evident after China’s WTO entry.Market-oriented reforms induced technology progress by increasing capital allocation efficiency,R&D input,and technology diffusion.Among various aspects of market-oriented reforms,the institutional environment exerted the most significant effects,followed by the economy’s non-state sector,product market development,and factor market development;the government-market relationship index influenced technology’s progress the least.The effects are heterogeneous across sectors with different technology attributes and more significant for technology-intensive sectors.Our findings offer policy implications for China’s ongoing market-oriented reforms and policy design for technology progress in high-tech sectors.

China National Textiles I/E Corp Reforms Operational Mechanism

The China National Textiles I/E Corp (Chinatex), one of the foreign trade companies in the country with the biggest import and export value, exported more textiles and expanded its business at home and abroad in 1994, in spite of the shortage of raw materials and the rise in prices. Chinatex’s import and export value totalled US$2.718 billion last year, a rise of 43.9% over the previous year. The quality of the exports also improved. The company’s Beijing branch exported US$370 million worth of goods, 33.3% more than in the previous year. Its enterprises abroad had a turnover of US$1 billion in 1994.

Three reforms on“Rope Tricks”

On the 14th Massy International Circus Festival,“Rope Tricks”by Fujian Acrobatic Troupe won the highest award—France Republic President Award.As the main tutor and direc-

PCT Reforms Its Patent Filing System

As of January 1,2004,the first critical steps in seekingpatent protection in multiple countries will be easier as aresult of reforms to the international patent filing system.Aseries of reforms to the World Intellectual PropertyOrganisation's(WIPO)Patent Cooperation Treaty(PCT),ranging from a new simplified system of designatingcountries in which patent protection is sought to an enhancedsearch and preliminary examination system,will simplify thecomplex procedure of obtaining patent protection in severa...

Ambitious Reforms:Selecting Talents the Democratic Way

WE say capitalism is notgood, but when it comes to discovering and using talents, it iscertainly very bold. It has a characteristic, which is taken for granted, that no priority is given to seniority, and that anyone suit-

CAS Reforms its Institutional System

During the first phase of initiation of Knowl-edge Innovation Program (KIP), from 1998 to 2000,CAS has undergone a large-scale institutional con-solidation, involving 60 research institutions(in-cluding 33 institutes and the like. As a result, 40institutes won preferential support from the KIP.

Tanzimat Reforms and Urban Transformations in Ottoman Port-Cities

The 19th century was a milestone for urban planning history of the Eastern Mediterranean region since the typology of the Ottoman city was reformed,more or less abruptly,by strong Western European influences as a consequence of broader political,economic,and social transformations.From the very beginning of the 19th century,the Ottoman state confronted significant administrative issues that raised in the importance to institutionalise reforms over a long period of time,representing the foundation of later urban“modernisation reforms”.These challenges of the Ottoman cities at that period coincided with one crucial reform framework known as“Tanzimat”,which reflected the social willingness to inherit elements of European culture,technological innovations,and lifestyle.According to that direction,urban space was considered as a workshop of planning regulations and reforms adopting principles of contemporary,at that time,European urban planning,mostly applied in England and France.These social and urban reforms established by the Ottoman state marked the first attempt to relate Ottoman cities with European planning,urban infrastructures,building regulations,and public administration.During the period of Tanzimat(1839-1876),the economic role and impact of cities was strengthened reflecting a rising urbanisation of population.This article highlights this“Europeanisation”of Ottoman cities at the period of Tanzimat by investigating five case-study cities:Smyrna,Beirut,Alexandria,Thessaloniki,and Constantinople.All these cities were important ports-hubs of the Eastern Mediterranean whose urban development since the 1840s was a direct consequence of the modernisation reforms and,in general,an increase of European influence.These urban reforms,like in many European cities,included new transport infrastructures and communication networks,public services(water,gas,tramways,etc.),health and education,and new industrial patterns.

Oil Crisis, Market Reforms, and Human Welfare： An Econometric Analysis of the Australian Economy

As an active trader in international crude oil and petroleum product markets, Australia＇s human welfare is affected by oil crisis and contagion from the perspectives of economic growth, income inequality, and environmental sustainability. This paper investigates the impacts of oil price shocks upon Australia＇s gross domestic product （GDP） growth, Gini coefficients, and carbon dioxide emissions per capita from 1970 to 2012 with yearly frequency. Hypotheses concerning whether Australia＇s economic immunity against oil crisis is affected after the deregulation of oil market and whether endogenous oil price shocks account for more variations in human welfare than exogenous oil price shocks are tested. The methodologies include a theoretic model and a series of econometric tests. For the short-run dynamics, oil price is integrated into the model both linearly and non-linearly. Oil price shocks are categorized into exogenous and endogenous shocks. The conclusions are that inflated oil prices exert mainly non-linear negative impacts upon human welfare indicators and exogenous shocks induce endogenous shocks through labor price, Consumer Price Index （CPI）, interest rate, and exchange rate. For the long-run equilibrium, non-linear shocks＇ effects decay more slowly than linear shocks and the impacts of endogenous shocks last longer than that of exogenous shocks. Finally, oil market policies are evaluated and proposed.

Forging Ahead With Reforms

China aims to create space for deepening supply-side structural reform in 2017 and beyond A vote of confidence from experts in China’s economic performance this year indicated an optimistic outlook at the 12th National People’s Congress annual

Evaluation of Potential Impacts of Agricultural Policy Reforms on Sustainability of Groundwater Resources of Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia has achieved extensive development and expansion in agriculture sector and achieved self sufficiency in a number of agricultural crops including wheat, fodders, dates, some vegetables and fruits. Considering the future growing need for food and water, government of Saudi Arabia has formulated and implemented a number of policy reforms for conservation, optimal utilization and sustainable development of natural resources of the Kingdom. The present study focuses on potential future impacts on natural resources conservations and strategic planning due to recent policy reforms （Council of Ministers （CoM） on Water Resources Management and Conservation （Decision No. 335）） issued on September 2008. The modeling of wheat agriculture was performed based on detailed analysis of water application practices in wheat growing regions/districts and future projection of wheat irrigation in context of recent government water resources conservation strategy. The results clearly indicated a significant positive impact will be occurred in terms of huge relief on highly stressed and limited national strategic groundwater resources. The present study estimated a saving and conservation of more than 51.0 billion cubic meters （BCM） of non-renewable groundwater resources during next 11 years.

Ramping Up Reforms

THE Chinese Government released a range of reform and opening up policies, as is custom- ary. ahead of the Third Plenary Session of the 18th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China （CPC）, which ran from November 9 to 12. This year. the corporate registration system was included in the reform package.

Mini-Stimulus to Fuel Reforms

At the present time, China is in need of economic stimulus, a fact testified to by the struggling branches of some banks and the sluggish manufacturing industry. Ye Tan. a financial commentator, said in a commentary published in the Shanghai-based NationalBusiness Daily. that the country should no longer base its optimistic mood solely on the explosive growth of the information technology （IT） and e-commerce industries. Without the upgrading of its manufacturing sector, China＇s economy will lose the foundation required to sustain its growth.

Bank of Communications Benefits from Economic Reforms

TheBankofCommunications.foundedin1908,isoneofChina'sfirstbanks.Itstartedasaspecializedbankservicingmainlywaterandlandtrans-portationindustries,energyindustries,andpostalservices.Later,theBankofCorn-municationsdevelopedintoacommercialbankprovidinggene...