Effects of Social Security Spending on Income Distribution and Poverty Reduction in China

Reasonable income distribution and eradication of rural poverty are vital for building a moderately prosperous society in all respects in China.This paper primarily examines the income distribution and poverty reduction effects of social security spending.Market income and redistribution policies are two determinants of income gaps.Based on CHIP2018 household survey data,we find that inadequate income redistribution policies have contributed to yawning income gaps,and that social security spending is more redistributive than personal income tax and social security contributions.After estimating the redistribution effects of social security spending and itemized incomes,we find that pension payments have contributed the most to household income gaps,and that subsistence protection and rural pension payments help improve income distribution.With respect to the poverty reduction effects of social security spending,we have estimated China’s current poverty incidence and the poverty reduction effects of pension payments,healthcare,and educational allowances with CHIP2018 data,and discover that an increase in social security spending may effectively reduce rural poverty.In building a moderately prosperous society in all respects,China should increase social security spending,focusing on specific target groups,and promote the role of social security spending in regulating income distribution and offering social protection to rural residents.

Factors affecting consumer acceptance of electronic cash in China:an empirical study

This paper proposes and validates a comprehensive model of consumer acceptance in the context of offline e-cash payment.It modifies the unified theory of acceptance and the use of technology model(UTAUT)with constructs of perceived security,cost of use,and government policy.Data collected from 4428 questionnaires about users’attitudes toward e-cash is used to apply a structural equation model which,in turn,assesses the predictive model.The empirical results indicate that perceived security and cost of use are beneficial extensions to the traditional UTAUT model,and intention is a key antecedent to users’actual utilization of e-cash.In addition,the demographic moderators are found to have significant effects on the relations among the variables.These results are useful to e-cash development and significant to the issue of Digital Currency Electronic Payment.

China's National Characteristics,Government-Market Relationship and the Development of Its Financial System

This study seeks to determine an effective boundary between government and market in light of modern financial theories.According to the findings of this paper,the relationship between government and market must be conceived of as under the "continuous spectrum of change" resulting from economic development.In practice,an effective frontier between government and market not only transforms continuously with the process of economic development but also demonstrates significant contrasts internationally according to the different national characteristics existing in each country.Determining a frontier between government and market requires that the relationship between the two be embedded into a broader set of institutional environmental constraints that incorporate consideration of the dynamic processes and mechanisms of economic development.The key issue is that government and market act with regard to the principle of comparative advantage as they play their respective roles.

The value of FinTech innovations for the finance industry:Evidence from China

This paper explores the value effects of FinTech innovations on the finance industry in China,focussing on the banking system.We use a crawler-like application programme to grab patent filing information and manually identify and classify FinTech innovations based on their application fields.FinTech patents generally bring adverse value effects to various finance sectors,revealing a competitive relationship between innovators and financial firms.FinTech innovations applied to insurance and asset management cause the most harm to the industry,especially to state-owned and joint-stock commercial banks.Moreover,disruptive FinTech innovations by start-up firms appear to pose more potential threats to commercial banks.

Denoising of chaotic signal using independent component analysis and empirical mode decomposition with circulate translating

In this paper, a new method to reduce noises within chaotic signals based on ICA （independent component analysis） and EMD （empirical mode decomposition） is proposed. The basic idea is decomposing chaotic signals and constructing multidimensional input vectors, firstly, on the base of EMD and its translation invariance. Secondly, it makes the indepen- dent component analysis on the input vectors, which means that a self adapting denoising is carried out for the intrinsic mode functions （IMFs） of chaotic signals. Finally, all IMFs compose the new denoised chaotic signal. Experiments on the Lorenz chaotic signal composed of different Gaussian noises and the monthly observed chaotic sequence on sunspots were put into practice. The results proved that the method proposed in this paper is effective in denoising of chaotic signals. Moreover, it can correct the center point in the phase space effectively, which makes it approach the real track of the chaotic attractor.

An Analysis of Learner Language as an Implement of Theories in Second Language Acquisition

In the researches of second language acquisition (SLA) field,many aspects have been studied to explain and analyze learner's interlanguage. This study based on the writing materials of two non-native learners of English tries to do find and discuss some features of SLA,especially Interlanguage. The point it focuses on is tense-aspect,to be more specific,the past tense. Some errors will be analyzed and classified with some modest explanations and solutions of these errors in learner language.

Income Growth,Income Gaps,and Rural Poverty Reduction in China

This paper analyzes the evolving trends in China’s rural poverty from 1988 to 2018 and how income growth and income gaps contributed to poverty reduction using rural household data from the China Household Income Project(CHIP).We find that after China’s reform and opening up policy introduced in 1978,China’s rural poverty has been reduced substantially due primarily to income growth,although this poverty-reducing effect was partially offset by widening income gaps.During the progress of this poverty reduction,however,income distribution replaced income growth as the key driver.For the extremely poor in particular,their poverty status hinged upon income distribution.As revealed by our empirical analysis of income sources,wage income became the chief source of income for rural households,contributing a rising share to poverty reduction in the countryside.The contribution of net income from government transfer to poverty reduction has increased in recent years,and this contribution has been increased with the deepening level of poverty.Calculation of the pro-poor growth index suggests that the poor population primarily benefited from the trickle-down effect of economic growth,and the economic growth pattern has yet to lean towards pro-poor growth.

Green Finance and Green Innovation of Enterprises

Against the backdrop of the carbon neutrality strategy,the key issue remains how green finance can boost enterprise green innovation and social transformation.The paper introduces the policy of Pilot Zones forGreen FinanceReform and Innovations("the PZGFRI Policy")announced in 2017 as a quasi-natural experiment and probes into whether green finance has a significant impact on enterprise green innovation as well as its mechanism based on the green patent data of China's A-share listed companies in the Shanghai Stock Exchange and the Shenzhen Stock Exchange from 2012 to 2019.The paper reaches the conclusion that the PZGFRI Policy has significantly promoted the green innovation of enterprises.In terms of heterogeneity of enterprise characteristics,it generates greater impacts on non-polluting firms,large-scale enterprises,and state-owned companies.For the heterogeneity of the financial environment,the PZGFRI Policy provides more benefits for those in regions with less competitive banks.As for the mechanism,green finance advances enterprise green innovation by increasing the proportion of long-term loans of enterprises and improving their debt structure.However,evidence related to financing cost channels has not yet been found.Continued improvement of the green financial system is preferred.Further,green finance should be encouraged to play an important role in the green transformation of society,the realization of carbon neutrality goals,and long-term ecological conservation.

The Renminbi Exchange Rate Reform and the Rebalancing of China's Growth Model

This paper posits that a proper way to estimate the Renminbi(RMB) exchange rate is to base the evaluation on the Balassa-Samuelson effect, and that the optimal way to facilitate China's growth model transformation is gradual RMB internationalization and capital account liberalization. Regression estimates show that the gross domestic product per capita growth rate, or the productivity growth rate, has strong explanatory validity when estimating the RMB exchange rate. The findings further assert that, as the growth of gross fixed capital formation slows, and the growth of household consumption speeds up, China's economic growth will be sustained. The RMB exchange rate regime is one in which gradual reforms must yield to interest rates levels and hence should only be revalued conditionally.

The Incentive Effects of the Institutional Arrangements of China’s Fiscal System and Their Influence on Finance and Economics

Following the gradual deepening of China's decentralization reforms since reform and opening up in 1978, local governments have played an ever more prominent role in the entire vertical structure of government and in nationwide economic and social development. The checks and incentives in China's fiscal institutional arrangements and their profound influence on the behavior of local governments have furnished academia with an important perspective on China's economic issues.

How China's Grain-for-Green Project Contributes to Farmers' Income Growth

Initially intended to prevent water and soil erosion, China＇s Grain-for-Green Project （GGP） also has had economic impacts on farmers＇incorne and employment. Based on the poverty monitoring survey data between 2006-2010 from National Bureau of Statistics （NBS）, this paper evaluates the GGP＇s policy effects with respect to farmers＇ income, non-agricultural employment and poverty alleviation. Our findings suggest that contributing to the GGP, farmers＇ income including GGP subsidies increased significantly compared with the pre-GGP level,＂ however, if GGP subsidies are not taken into account, the increase in farmers＇non-agricultural income after the GGP could only compensate.for the income losses from farmland reduction, showing an insignificant effect. Second, there exist significant differences on employment tendency among GGP households. High-income households tend to engage in operation business in forestry, livestock and fishery activities, while medium-income families are more inclined to seek employment outside, and the differences attribute to the inter-group intrinsic characteristics. Lastly, the GGP＇s poverty alleviation effect varies with the difference in poverty standard. Overall the GGP＇s poverty alleviation effect is significant.

County-Level Tax Sharing:A Statistical Basis for Measuring China's Fiscal Decentralization

Controversies exist in literature regarding what indicators should be employed to measure China's fiscal decentralization. This paper measures China's fiscal decentralization by the sharing ratios of county-level VAT and corporate income tax(CIT). This approach avoids such problems as homogeneous denominator, and reflects the intricate interactions between governments at different levels. Based on extensive sources including the National Fiscal Statistical Information at Prefecture and County Levels and China County(City) Socio-Economic Statistical Yearbook over the 1998-2007 period, our estimation and analysis led to the following findings:(1) Since 2002, counties have retained a falling share of revenues;(2) a multidimensional horizontal comparison reveals a pattern in the county-level tax sharing ratio, i.e. counties in central and eastern regions retain a higher share of tax revenues compared with those in western and northwestern regions.These findings explain the fiscal difficulties at the grassroots level, and can be used to conduct a quantitative analysis of the determinants and economic effects of China's fiscal decentralization."

A Study on High Incomes in China's Monopoly Industries

High incomes in state monopoly industries have drawn extensive public concerns in China. The management of state-owned enterprises(SOEs) is motivated and empowered to set payment schemes in their own favor, resulting in the greater extent to which their senior executives are overpaid as compared with average workers. Hence, the level of unjustified high incomes is heterogeneous among employees of different income levels in state monopoly industries. Using Machado-Mata counterfactual decomposition method based on the regression of multiple quantiles, this paper measures the proportions of reasonable and unreasonable parts of pay gap between state monopoly industries and competitive industries. Our study found that the workforce of state monopoly industries are overpaid across various wage levels, while the extent to which they are overpaid increases with the rise of wage level. The implication is that compared with average workers, executives in state monopoly industries are overpaid to an even greater extent. This requires that the government focus on curbing the high executive income in addition to putting a lid on the gross payroll of SOEs in state monopoly industries. The fundamental strategy to resolving the excessive high income in state monopoly industries is to bring different types of SOEs under different corporate management models and income systems.

China’s Institutional Strength,Monetary Policy Coordination and Fiscal Crowding-in Effect

As two main tools of macroeconomic policies,coordination and conflict between fiscal and monetary policies have been paid considerable attention by researchers.Under a structural vector autoregressive model that incorporates fiscal and monetary policies,this paper analyzes the monetary policy response to fiscal shocks.Our study finds that during the occurrence of a fiscal shock,the growth rate of broad money supply M2 substantially increased,indicating the adoption of an expansionary monetary policy by the monetary authority to fiscal policy expansion.Based on this empirical finding,this paper improves the dynamic stochastic general equilibrium model to investigate the fiscal policy effects under China’s monetary policy coordination.Our analysis shows that monetary policy coordination will significantly boost the economic stimulus effect of fiscal policy,generating a fiscal crowding-in effect.From the perspective of China’s institutional strength,this conclusion offers a theoretical explanation on the empirical fact of the fiscal crowdingin effect uncovered in the research literature,and offers a policy reference for making the proactive fiscal policy more efficient and effective.This paper suggests that China’s policymakers give full play to the country’s institutional strength by coordinating fiscal and monetary policies for high-quality economic development.

Querying on Wang Xiaolu＇s Estimation on Grey Income in China1

This paper believes that serious flaws exist in Wang Xiaolu＇s calculation of grey income in China for the following reasons.＂ （1） It is not sound methodology to match households with different income levels by using Engel coefficients; （2） The way Wang collected data cannot make up for statistical distortion in the National Bureau of Statistics＇ data; （3） Wang did not provide reasonable explanations for both the income inequality as derived from the estimated income groups and the change in income inequality between the two years he compared,＂ （4）Wang＇s calculation of grey income lacks a basic logical foundation.

Financialization of the Economy and Income Inequality in China

The income gap between the financial sector and other sectors has been widening since the mid-1990s. Why do financiers in China earn more than others? We analyze this issue against the background of financialization of the economy. The year 1993 was a watershed year, in which China began the process of rapid financialization. Since 1993, the financial sector has become increasingly powerful, overshadowing other sectors. Evidence shows that the high income levels that exist in the financial sector are related to this process of financialization in China. Financialization influences income distribution in China through two channels: money issuance and liquidation of social capital. The labor market equilibrium of the financial sector and wage level determination are not naturally formed but constructed. The increasing income inequality between the financial sector and other sectors is a consequence of financialization of the economy in China.

Mix of Fiscal and Monetary Policy Rules and Inflation Dynamics in China

The present paper examines the role of the mix of fiscal and monetary policy rules in determining inflation dynamics using fiscal and monetary policy reaction func.tions and Markov-switching vector autoregression methods based on quarterly data in the period 1992-2007. Our results show that fiseal and monetary policies in China can be adequately described using some simple rules, and that significant regime shifts took plaee around 1998. Fiscal policy tended to be active and countereyclical in the pre-1998 period, then switched to be passive and more eountercyclical, whereas monetary policy was characterized as passive and procyclical in the pre-1998 period, and switched to be active and countercyclical afterwards. The mix of fiscal and monetary policy rules can explain inflation dynamics better than the monetary policy rule alone. Therefore, price stability requires not only appropriate monetary policy but also appropriate fiseal policy.

Monetary policy, financial development and the financing of zombie firms: evidence from China

This paper examines the financing channels for zombie firms in China.We find that equity markets and suppliers provide substan-tial financing support for zombie firms,while banks and other financing channels are less important.We also find that the amount of investment does not increase accordingly after zombie firms obtain external financing,which indicates an inefficient use of funds by these zombie firms.Our results are robust to various definitions of zombie firms,and also to a propensity score match-ing method.

Why China’s Tax Revenue Is Likely to Maintain Its Rapid Growth: An Explanation within the Framework of Tax Capacity and Tax Effort

An analysis of the dynamics of the rapid growth of tax revenue in China within the framework of tax capacity and tax effort reveals three major drivers following the tax sharing reform. First, the nature of the decentralization contract under the tax sharing system provides strong incentives for taxation. Second, the system of indirect taxes boosts taxpayers’ taxable capacity. And third, China is enjoying the intensively present tax growth dividend. In the future, the first factor will diminish; the second factor will partially cease functioning; and the third factor will remain constant. Over the long term, the tax growth dividend will be long lasting and tax revenue will keep growing at a high speed.

The Reform of State-owned Commercial Banks in China: A Political Economy Perspective

This paper analyzes the logic of the reform of state-owned commercial banks during 1997-2006 from a political economy perspective, mainly by discussing three fields of the reform: shareholding system reform, marketization, and financial restructuring. It also points out the existing problems in each field. The conclusion is that although the reform is heading in the right direction and has already made great progress, it has largely been conducted at the technical level and the Government has avoided dealing with the core issue of the reform. More importantly, the consequences of the Government's policy—pursuing short-term objectives, like improving the short-term financial status of banks—puts the entire system in danger by accumulating long-term risks. This paper also provides some policy proposals and points out potential directions for further studies.