Author: Ms.Longmei Zhang
Publisher: International Monetary Fund
ISBN: 1484388771
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 38
Book Description
China’s high national savings rate—one of the highest in the world—is at the heart of its external/internal imbalances. High savings finance elevated investment when held domestically, or lead to large external imbalances when they flow abroad. Today, high savings mostly emanate from the household sector, resulting from demographic changes induced by the one-child policy and the transformation of the social safety net and job security that occured during the transition from planned to market economy. Housing reform and rising income inequality also contribute to higher savings. Moving forward, demographic changes will put downward pressure on savings. Policy efforts in strengthening the social safety net and reducing income inequality are also needed to reduce savings further and boost consumption.
China’s High Savings: Drivers, Prospects, and Policies
Author: Ms.Longmei Zhang
Publisher: International Monetary Fund
ISBN: 1484388771
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 38
Book Description
China’s high national savings rate—one of the highest in the world—is at the heart of its external/internal imbalances. High savings finance elevated investment when held domestically, or lead to large external imbalances when they flow abroad. Today, high savings mostly emanate from the household sector, resulting from demographic changes induced by the one-child policy and the transformation of the social safety net and job security that occured during the transition from planned to market economy. Housing reform and rising income inequality also contribute to higher savings. Moving forward, demographic changes will put downward pressure on savings. Policy efforts in strengthening the social safety net and reducing income inequality are also needed to reduce savings further and boost consumption.
Publisher: International Monetary Fund
ISBN: 1484388771
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 38
Book Description
China’s high national savings rate—one of the highest in the world—is at the heart of its external/internal imbalances. High savings finance elevated investment when held domestically, or lead to large external imbalances when they flow abroad. Today, high savings mostly emanate from the household sector, resulting from demographic changes induced by the one-child policy and the transformation of the social safety net and job security that occured during the transition from planned to market economy. Housing reform and rising income inequality also contribute to higher savings. Moving forward, demographic changes will put downward pressure on savings. Policy efforts in strengthening the social safety net and reducing income inequality are also needed to reduce savings further and boost consumption.
A Bull in China
Author: Jim Rogers
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
ISBN: 1119049849
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 262
Book Description
Profiting from China without getting burned is currently an obsession with the international investment community. The estimated size of the Chinese economy has just been revised upwards, making it the 4th largest in the world behind the US, Japan and Germany, and ahead of the UK but the idea that investing in China is a sure-fire, get-rich-quick investment story is dangerously misleading. * The author of the bestselling Investment Biker, Adventure Capitalist, and Hot Commodities, is providing a book that provides a window into what will soon be the most vital, most lucrative market of our time: China. * While the Chinese economy has had an annual average growth of 9.4 percent since 1978, and despite the ongoing speculation about China's future, its stock market is now emerging from a six-year low. * As the Chinese economy continues to lumber toward a free market system - and as the Chinese government inevitably unpegs its currency and opens its stock market to more foreign investment, Rogers foresees an abundance of opportunities for investors. * In this book, he shows readers not only how to take advantage of China's coming dominance - what, where, how, and when to buy - but how China will impact individual companies, markets, and economies around the world. * "Nobody with blue eyes has ever made money investing in China," the old saying goes. Jim Rogers aims to disprove this adage. Jim Rogers co-founded the Quantum Fund and retired at age 37. Since then, he has served as a sometime professor of finance at Columbia University's business school, and as a media commentator. He appears twice a week on Fox Business News, and is the author of three immensely successful books.
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
ISBN: 1119049849
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 262
Book Description
Profiting from China without getting burned is currently an obsession with the international investment community. The estimated size of the Chinese economy has just been revised upwards, making it the 4th largest in the world behind the US, Japan and Germany, and ahead of the UK but the idea that investing in China is a sure-fire, get-rich-quick investment story is dangerously misleading. * The author of the bestselling Investment Biker, Adventure Capitalist, and Hot Commodities, is providing a book that provides a window into what will soon be the most vital, most lucrative market of our time: China. * While the Chinese economy has had an annual average growth of 9.4 percent since 1978, and despite the ongoing speculation about China's future, its stock market is now emerging from a six-year low. * As the Chinese economy continues to lumber toward a free market system - and as the Chinese government inevitably unpegs its currency and opens its stock market to more foreign investment, Rogers foresees an abundance of opportunities for investors. * In this book, he shows readers not only how to take advantage of China's coming dominance - what, where, how, and when to buy - but how China will impact individual companies, markets, and economies around the world. * "Nobody with blue eyes has ever made money investing in China," the old saying goes. Jim Rogers aims to disprove this adage. Jim Rogers co-founded the Quantum Fund and retired at age 37. Since then, he has served as a sometime professor of finance at Columbia University's business school, and as a media commentator. He appears twice a week on Fox Business News, and is the author of three immensely successful books.
China 2049
Author: David Dollar
Publisher: Brookings Institution Press
ISBN: 0815738064
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 444
Book Description
How will China reform its economy as it aspires to become the next economic superpower? It's clear that China is the world's next economic superpower. But what isn't so clear is how China will get there by the middle of this century. It now faces tremendous challenges such as fostering innovation, dealing with ageing problem and coping with a less accommodative global environment. In this book, economists from China's leading university and America's best-known think tank offer in depth analyses of these challenges. Does China have enough talent and right policy and institutional mix to transit from input-driven to innovation-driven economy? What does ageing mean, in terms of labor supply, consumption demand and social welfare expenditure? Can China contain the environmental and climate change risks? How should the financial system be transformed in order to continuously support economic growth and keep financial risks under control? What fiscal reforms are required in order to balance between economic efficiency and social harmony? What roles should the state-owned enterprises play in the future Chinese economy? In addition, how will technological competition between the United States and China affect each country's development? Will the Chinese yuan emerge as a major reserve currency, and would this destabilize the international financial system? What will be China's role in the international economic institutions? And will the United States and other established powers accept a growing role for China and the rest of the developing world in the governance of global institutions such as the World Trade Organization and the International Monetary Fund, or will the world devolve into competing blocs? This book provides unique insights into independent analyses and policy recommendations by a group of top Chinese and American scholars. Whether China succeeds or fails in economic reform will have a large impact, not just on China's development, but also on stability and prosperity for the whole world.
Publisher: Brookings Institution Press
ISBN: 0815738064
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 444
Book Description
How will China reform its economy as it aspires to become the next economic superpower? It's clear that China is the world's next economic superpower. But what isn't so clear is how China will get there by the middle of this century. It now faces tremendous challenges such as fostering innovation, dealing with ageing problem and coping with a less accommodative global environment. In this book, economists from China's leading university and America's best-known think tank offer in depth analyses of these challenges. Does China have enough talent and right policy and institutional mix to transit from input-driven to innovation-driven economy? What does ageing mean, in terms of labor supply, consumption demand and social welfare expenditure? Can China contain the environmental and climate change risks? How should the financial system be transformed in order to continuously support economic growth and keep financial risks under control? What fiscal reforms are required in order to balance between economic efficiency and social harmony? What roles should the state-owned enterprises play in the future Chinese economy? In addition, how will technological competition between the United States and China affect each country's development? Will the Chinese yuan emerge as a major reserve currency, and would this destabilize the international financial system? What will be China's role in the international economic institutions? And will the United States and other established powers accept a growing role for China and the rest of the developing world in the governance of global institutions such as the World Trade Organization and the International Monetary Fund, or will the world devolve into competing blocs? This book provides unique insights into independent analyses and policy recommendations by a group of top Chinese and American scholars. Whether China succeeds or fails in economic reform will have a large impact, not just on China's development, but also on stability and prosperity for the whole world.
Income Uncertainty and Household Savings in China
Author: Mr.Marcos Chamon
Publisher: International Monetary Fund
ISBN: 1455211702
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 36
Book Description
China’s household saving rate has increased markedly since the mid-1990s and the age-savings profile has become U-shaped. We find that rising income uncertainty and pension reforms help explain both of these phenomena. Using a panel of Chinese households covering the period 1989-2006, we document that strong average income growth has been accompanied by a substantial increase in income uncertainty. Interestingly, the permanent variance of household income remains stable while it is the transitory variance that rises sharply. A calibration of a buffer-stock savings model indicates that rising savings rates among younger households are consistent with rising income uncertainty and higher saving rates among older households are consistent with a decline in the pension replacement ratio for those retiring after 1997. We conclude that rising income uncertainty and pension reforms can account for over half of the increase in the urban household savings rate in China since the mid-1990s as well as the U-shaped age-profile of savings.
Publisher: International Monetary Fund
ISBN: 1455211702
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 36
Book Description
China’s household saving rate has increased markedly since the mid-1990s and the age-savings profile has become U-shaped. We find that rising income uncertainty and pension reforms help explain both of these phenomena. Using a panel of Chinese households covering the period 1989-2006, we document that strong average income growth has been accompanied by a substantial increase in income uncertainty. Interestingly, the permanent variance of household income remains stable while it is the transitory variance that rises sharply. A calibration of a buffer-stock savings model indicates that rising savings rates among younger households are consistent with rising income uncertainty and higher saving rates among older households are consistent with a decline in the pension replacement ratio for those retiring after 1997. We conclude that rising income uncertainty and pension reforms can account for over half of the increase in the urban household savings rate in China since the mid-1990s as well as the U-shaped age-profile of savings.
Selling China
Author: Yasheng Huang
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 9780521814287
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 420
Book Description
In this book, Yasheng Huang makes a provocative claim: the large absorption of foreign direct investment (FDI) by China is a sign of some substantial weaknesses in the Chinese economy. The primary benefits associated with China's FDI inflows are concerned with the privatization functions supplied by foreign firms, venture capital provisions to credit-constrained private entrepreneurs, and promotion of interregional capital mobility. Huang argues that one should ask why domestic firms cannot supply the same functions. China's partial reforms, while successful in increasing the scope of the market, have so far failed to address many allocative inefficiencies in the Chinese economy.
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 9780521814287
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 420
Book Description
In this book, Yasheng Huang makes a provocative claim: the large absorption of foreign direct investment (FDI) by China is a sign of some substantial weaknesses in the Chinese economy. The primary benefits associated with China's FDI inflows are concerned with the privatization functions supplied by foreign firms, venture capital provisions to credit-constrained private entrepreneurs, and promotion of interregional capital mobility. Huang argues that one should ask why domestic firms cannot supply the same functions. China's partial reforms, while successful in increasing the scope of the market, have so far failed to address many allocative inefficiencies in the Chinese economy.
China's Economic Rise
Author: Congressional Research Service
Publisher: Createspace Independent Publishing Platform
ISBN: 9781976466953
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 52
Book Description
Prior to the initiation of economic reforms and trade liberalization 36 years ago, China maintained policies that kept the economy very poor, stagnant, centrally-controlled, vastly inefficient, and relatively isolated from the global economy. Since opening up to foreign trade and investment and implementing free market reforms in 1979, China has been among the world's fastest-growing economies, with real annual gross domestic product (GDP) growth averaging nearly 10% through 2016. In recent years, China has emerged as a major global economic power. It is now the world's largest economy (on a purchasing power parity basis), manufacturer, merchandise trader, and holder of foreign exchange reserves.The global economic crisis that began in 2008 greatly affected China's economy. China's exports, imports, and foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows declined, GDP growth slowed, and millions of Chinese workers reportedly lost their jobs. The Chinese government responded by implementing a $586 billion economic stimulus package and loosening monetary policies to increase bank lending. Such policies enabled China to effectively weather the effects of the sharp global fall in demand for Chinese products, but may have contributed to overcapacity in several industries and increased debt by Chinese firms and local government. China's economy has slowed in recent years. Real GDP growth has slowed in each of the past six years, dropping from 10.6% in 2010 to 6.7% in 2016, and is projected to slow to 5.7% by 2022.The Chinese government has attempted to steer the economy to a "new normal" of slower, but more stable and sustainable, economic growth. Yet, concerns have deepened in recent years over the health of the Chinese economy. On August 11, 2015, the Chinese government announced that the daily reference rate of the renminbi (RMB) would become more "market-oriented." Over the next three days, the RMB depreciated against the dollar and led to charges that China's goal was to boost exports to help stimulate the economy (which some suspect is in worse shape than indicated by official Chinese economic statistics). Concerns over the state of the Chinese economy appear to have often contributed to volatility in global stock indexes in recent years.The ability of China to maintain a rapidly growing economy in the long run will likely depend largely on the ability of the Chinese government to implement comprehensive economic reforms that more quickly hasten China's transition to a free market economy; rebalance the Chinese economy by making consumer demand, rather than exporting and fixed investment, the main engine of economic growth; boost productivity and innovation; address growing income disparities; and enhance environmental protection. The Chinese government has acknowledged that its current economic growth model needs to be altered and has announced several initiatives to address various economic challenges. In November 2013, the Communist Party of China held the Third Plenum of its 18th Party Congress, which outlined a number of broad policy reforms to boost competition and economic efficiency. For example, the communique stated that the market would now play a "decisive" role in allocating resources in the economy. At the same time, however, the communique emphasized the continued important role of the state sector in China's economy. In addition, many foreign firms have complained that the business climate in China has worsened in recent years. Thus, it remains unclear how committed the Chinese government is to implementing new comprehensive economic reforms.China's economic rise has significant implications for the United States and hence is of major interest to Congress. This report provides background on China's economic rise; describes its current economic structure; identifies the challenges China faces to maintain economic growth; and discusses the challenges, opportunities, and implications of China's economic rise.
Publisher: Createspace Independent Publishing Platform
ISBN: 9781976466953
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 52
Book Description
Prior to the initiation of economic reforms and trade liberalization 36 years ago, China maintained policies that kept the economy very poor, stagnant, centrally-controlled, vastly inefficient, and relatively isolated from the global economy. Since opening up to foreign trade and investment and implementing free market reforms in 1979, China has been among the world's fastest-growing economies, with real annual gross domestic product (GDP) growth averaging nearly 10% through 2016. In recent years, China has emerged as a major global economic power. It is now the world's largest economy (on a purchasing power parity basis), manufacturer, merchandise trader, and holder of foreign exchange reserves.The global economic crisis that began in 2008 greatly affected China's economy. China's exports, imports, and foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows declined, GDP growth slowed, and millions of Chinese workers reportedly lost their jobs. The Chinese government responded by implementing a $586 billion economic stimulus package and loosening monetary policies to increase bank lending. Such policies enabled China to effectively weather the effects of the sharp global fall in demand for Chinese products, but may have contributed to overcapacity in several industries and increased debt by Chinese firms and local government. China's economy has slowed in recent years. Real GDP growth has slowed in each of the past six years, dropping from 10.6% in 2010 to 6.7% in 2016, and is projected to slow to 5.7% by 2022.The Chinese government has attempted to steer the economy to a "new normal" of slower, but more stable and sustainable, economic growth. Yet, concerns have deepened in recent years over the health of the Chinese economy. On August 11, 2015, the Chinese government announced that the daily reference rate of the renminbi (RMB) would become more "market-oriented." Over the next three days, the RMB depreciated against the dollar and led to charges that China's goal was to boost exports to help stimulate the economy (which some suspect is in worse shape than indicated by official Chinese economic statistics). Concerns over the state of the Chinese economy appear to have often contributed to volatility in global stock indexes in recent years.The ability of China to maintain a rapidly growing economy in the long run will likely depend largely on the ability of the Chinese government to implement comprehensive economic reforms that more quickly hasten China's transition to a free market economy; rebalance the Chinese economy by making consumer demand, rather than exporting and fixed investment, the main engine of economic growth; boost productivity and innovation; address growing income disparities; and enhance environmental protection. The Chinese government has acknowledged that its current economic growth model needs to be altered and has announced several initiatives to address various economic challenges. In November 2013, the Communist Party of China held the Third Plenum of its 18th Party Congress, which outlined a number of broad policy reforms to boost competition and economic efficiency. For example, the communique stated that the market would now play a "decisive" role in allocating resources in the economy. At the same time, however, the communique emphasized the continued important role of the state sector in China's economy. In addition, many foreign firms have complained that the business climate in China has worsened in recent years. Thus, it remains unclear how committed the Chinese government is to implementing new comprehensive economic reforms.China's economic rise has significant implications for the United States and hence is of major interest to Congress. This report provides background on China's economic rise; describes its current economic structure; identifies the challenges China faces to maintain economic growth; and discusses the challenges, opportunities, and implications of China's economic rise.
China's International Investment Strategy
Author: Julien Chaisse
Publisher:
ISBN: 0198827458
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 561
Book Description
This book explores the three tracks of China's investment policy and strategy: bilateral agreements, regional agreements, and global initiatives. Its overarching topic is whether these three tracks compete with or complement one another - a question of profound importance for China's political and economic future and world investment governance.
Publisher:
ISBN: 0198827458
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 561
Book Description
This book explores the three tracks of China's investment policy and strategy: bilateral agreements, regional agreements, and global initiatives. Its overarching topic is whether these three tracks compete with or complement one another - a question of profound importance for China's political and economic future and world investment governance.
Decoding Chinese Bilateral Investment Treaties
Author: Shen Wei
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 1108490980
Category : Education
Languages : en
Pages : 371
Book Description
Comprehensively investigate key characteristics, evolutionary path, driving forces, interpreting methodologies, and some missing puzzles of Chinese BITs.
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 1108490980
Category : Education
Languages : en
Pages : 371
Book Description
Comprehensively investigate key characteristics, evolutionary path, driving forces, interpreting methodologies, and some missing puzzles of Chinese BITs.
The Chinese Way to Wealth and Prosperity: 8 Timeless Strategies for Achieving Financial Success
Author: Michael Justin Lee
Publisher: McGraw Hill Professional
ISBN: 0071788735
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 222
Book Description
"You will put down this insightful book with a much deeper understanding of two of the more indispensable topics of the twenty-first century: China and sound financial practices." -- Jon Huntsman, Jr., U.S. Ambassador to China, 2009–2011 "This is a timely, well-researched, and tremendously important book..." -- Maurice R. Greenberg, Chairman & CEO, C.V. Starr & Co., Inc. "Michael sets out a commonsense approach to wealth and prosperity. It's a must-read." -- Philip Bullen, CFA, Group Chief Investment Officer, Fidelity Investments "Lee brings a unique combination of cultural, business, and economic insights. In compelling and clear language, he shows how Americans can engage this new reality." -- Samuel Gregg, D.Phil., Director of Research, The Acton Institute for the Study of Religion and Liberty "The more that things change, the more that making money depends on understanding those things that never change. In an immensely readable volume and with a compelling story, The Chinese Way to Wealth and Prosperity provides precisely that." -- Rabbi Daniel Lapin, Author of Thou Shall Prosper: The 10 Commandments for Making Money "Lee provides a valuable handbook for anyone wishing to understand what drives Chinese attitudes toward money." -- Dong Tao, Ph.D., Chief China Economist, Credit Suisse For centuries, the Chinese have managed to survive and thrive in virtually every part of the world. From nineteenth-century emigrants to twenty-first-century "tiger moms," they have shown remarkable resilience and determination in achieving their goals even under the most challenging of circumstances. What is the secret behind their enduring success? It's The Chinese Way to Wealth and Prosperity--a timeless combination of ancient wisdom and modern strategy that anyone can apply: Learn, then earn. Get mobile and go global. Make connections and return favors. Reduce debt and release your capital. Play financial defense. Defer gratification. Love the land. Avoid unrewarded risks. This inspiring and eminently practical guide shows you how to enrich your life, as well as enhance your fortunes. You'll discover the Chinese philosophy of "Sow early, sow often,"--reaping the rewards of consistently saving year after year. You'll learn how to honor and practice the time-tested wisdom of previous generations, keeping your priorities in check, placing a value on what matters most, and bringing prosperity into all aspects of your life. You'll find helpful charts detailing how wealth is generated using basic money-building principles very well known to the Chinese people, as well as ancient proverbs and stories that you can apply to today's economic situation. Along the way, you’ll read how distinguished individuals and major companies have thrived all over the world employing these lessons. The Chinese Way to Wealth and Prosperity offers the wisdom of the past, the keys to the present, and the road map to a strong financial future.
Publisher: McGraw Hill Professional
ISBN: 0071788735
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 222
Book Description
"You will put down this insightful book with a much deeper understanding of two of the more indispensable topics of the twenty-first century: China and sound financial practices." -- Jon Huntsman, Jr., U.S. Ambassador to China, 2009–2011 "This is a timely, well-researched, and tremendously important book..." -- Maurice R. Greenberg, Chairman & CEO, C.V. Starr & Co., Inc. "Michael sets out a commonsense approach to wealth and prosperity. It's a must-read." -- Philip Bullen, CFA, Group Chief Investment Officer, Fidelity Investments "Lee brings a unique combination of cultural, business, and economic insights. In compelling and clear language, he shows how Americans can engage this new reality." -- Samuel Gregg, D.Phil., Director of Research, The Acton Institute for the Study of Religion and Liberty "The more that things change, the more that making money depends on understanding those things that never change. In an immensely readable volume and with a compelling story, The Chinese Way to Wealth and Prosperity provides precisely that." -- Rabbi Daniel Lapin, Author of Thou Shall Prosper: The 10 Commandments for Making Money "Lee provides a valuable handbook for anyone wishing to understand what drives Chinese attitudes toward money." -- Dong Tao, Ph.D., Chief China Economist, Credit Suisse For centuries, the Chinese have managed to survive and thrive in virtually every part of the world. From nineteenth-century emigrants to twenty-first-century "tiger moms," they have shown remarkable resilience and determination in achieving their goals even under the most challenging of circumstances. What is the secret behind their enduring success? It's The Chinese Way to Wealth and Prosperity--a timeless combination of ancient wisdom and modern strategy that anyone can apply: Learn, then earn. Get mobile and go global. Make connections and return favors. Reduce debt and release your capital. Play financial defense. Defer gratification. Love the land. Avoid unrewarded risks. This inspiring and eminently practical guide shows you how to enrich your life, as well as enhance your fortunes. You'll discover the Chinese philosophy of "Sow early, sow often,"--reaping the rewards of consistently saving year after year. You'll learn how to honor and practice the time-tested wisdom of previous generations, keeping your priorities in check, placing a value on what matters most, and bringing prosperity into all aspects of your life. You'll find helpful charts detailing how wealth is generated using basic money-building principles very well known to the Chinese people, as well as ancient proverbs and stories that you can apply to today's economic situation. Along the way, you’ll read how distinguished individuals and major companies have thrived all over the world employing these lessons. The Chinese Way to Wealth and Prosperity offers the wisdom of the past, the keys to the present, and the road map to a strong financial future.
Changing Lanes in China
Author: Eric Thun
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 9781139447867
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 352
Book Description
This book addresses two of the most important trends in political economy during the last two decades - globalization and decentralization - in the context of the world's most rapidly growing economic power, China. The intent is to provide a better understanding of how local political and economic institutions shape the ability of Chinese state-owned firms to utilize foreign direct investment (FDI) to remake themselves in the transition from inefficient and technologically backward firms into powerful national champions. In a global economy, the author argues, local governments are increasingly the agents of industrial transformation at the level of the firm. Local institutions are durable over time, and they have important economic consequences. Through an analysis of five Chinese regions, the treatment seeks to specify the opportunities and constraints that alternative institutional structures create, how they change over time, and ultimately, how they prepare Chinese firms for the challenge of global competition.
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 9781139447867
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 352
Book Description
This book addresses two of the most important trends in political economy during the last two decades - globalization and decentralization - in the context of the world's most rapidly growing economic power, China. The intent is to provide a better understanding of how local political and economic institutions shape the ability of Chinese state-owned firms to utilize foreign direct investment (FDI) to remake themselves in the transition from inefficient and technologically backward firms into powerful national champions. In a global economy, the author argues, local governments are increasingly the agents of industrial transformation at the level of the firm. Local institutions are durable over time, and they have important economic consequences. Through an analysis of five Chinese regions, the treatment seeks to specify the opportunities and constraints that alternative institutional structures create, how they change over time, and ultimately, how they prepare Chinese firms for the challenge of global competition.