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Empowering through Courts: Judicial Centralization and Municipal Financing in China

Jiayin Hu, Wenwei Peng, Yang Su, Aug 28, 2024

This article discusses that the judicial centralization reform gradually implemented in China since 2014 has enhanced the independence of the judicial system, limited the intervention of local governments, and reduced court biases in favor of local governments.

Excessive Issuance of New Funds in China and Implications for Investor Protection

Shuai Ye, Jinfan Zhang, Kaixuan Zheng, Jun 25, 2025

The Chinese mutual fund industry is only one-tenth the size of its US counterpart, but the number of funds in China has surpassed that of the US. Our study shows that such a large number of funds is unhealthy: managers issue new funds repetitively with different custodian banks, resulting in the average manager overseeing 2.7 funds. Managers shift profits to new funds in order to attract more flows. Among funds under the same manager, new funds have higher returns than old funds, spurring concerns over investor protection.

Labor Market Discrimination against Family Responsibilities: A Correspondence Study with Policy Change in China

Haoran He, Sherry Xin Li, Yuling Han, Jan 24, 2024

China shifted its controversial one-child policy (1979–2015) to a two-child policy in 2016. We take advantage of the unexpected timing of this policy change and the heterogeneities in the pre-change environment to investigate labor market discrimination against expected family responsibilities.

Employee Output Response to Stock Market Wealth Shocks

Teng Li, Wenlan Qian, Wei A. Xiong, Xin Zou, Sep 27, 2023

Exploiting individual-level data linking worker performance and stock investment, we show that a 10% increase in stock investment returns is associated with a decrease in the same investor’s work output by 3.8% in the following month.

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.