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Does ESG Travel around the World? Evidence from Multinational Firms in China

Dongxu Li, Xiaoxue Hu, Oct 20, 2021

Using a sample of 3,770 Chinese listed firms during 2015–2020, we find that firms’ ESG ratings increase with foreign sales ratios. The higher-rated multinationals have more foreign subsidiaries located in countries with better ESG conditions, and their equity shares are held to a greater extent by institutional investors, especially by foreign institutions. The multinationals’ higher ESG ratings can be justified by...

Estimating the Role of Air Quality Improvements in the Decline of Suicide Rates in China

Tamma Carleton, Peng Zhang, Liguo Lin, Maigeng Zhou, Jun 19, 2024

This article discussing the correlation between reduced air pollution and lower suicide rates notes that as air pollution decreases, suicide rates also decline...

The Quiet Revolution in Women’s Human Capital and the Gender Earnings Gap in the People’s Republic of China

Zhengyang Li, Guochang Zhao, Jul 08, 2020

Since the 1980s, girls’ educational attaintment increased more quickly than boys’. As a result, the gender education gap decreased and even reversed in China. How does the gender earnings gap change in the face of increasing female human capital? What are the implications for the Chinese gender earnings gap in the future? This column will shed light on this interesting topic within and across cohorts.

Improving Regulation for Innovation: Evidence from China’s Pharmaceutical Industry

Ruixue Jia, Xiao Ma, Jianan Yang, Yiran Zhang, Mar 06, 2024

In 2015, China revamped its pharmaceutical regulations, drawing inspiration from the US, to accelerate drug approvals. Using data at the drug and firm levels during 2011–2021, this study reveals three key outcomes.

The Effects of a Multifaceted Poverty-Alleviation Program on Rural Income and Household Behavior in China

Rui Li, Hong Song, Jun Zhang, Junsen Zhang, Feb 12, 2025

This study examines the effects of a government-led, large-scale, multifaceted poverty-alleviation program on rural income in China. We find that the program has a positive impact on national key poor counties, with a 10.9% increase in rural income. This effect mainly arises via industrial support, agricultural development, and public service improvement. Strategies that are consistent with local comparative advantages and incentivize local officials to reduce poverty yield more significant effects. Household-level analyses suggest that the program changes household income and expenditure, and the effects are particularly substantial for the poorest households. The study provides novel insights and policy implications for China’s recent experience with poverty alleviation.