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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.

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.

Sharing the Entrepreneurial Wealth?

Josh Lerner, Junxi Liu, Jacob Moscona, David Yang, Jun 12, 2024

This article discussing the emergence of China in the field of innovation and entrepreneurship is reshaping the global entrepreneurial landscape, paving novel ways for achieving a broader wealth sharing.

Does Farming Culture Shape Household Financial Decisions?

Fang Yu, May 01, 2024

This article discussing the collectivist culture from traditional rice farming in China leads households to prefer stock market investments and lottery purchases while reducing their need for insurance. This demonstrates the strong influence of cultural heritage on modern financial decisions and highlights the need to consider cultural factors in financial policy making.The collectivist culture from traditional rice farming in China leads households to prefer stock market investments and lottery purchases while reducing their need for insurance. This demonstrates the strong influence of cultural heritage on modern financial decisions and highlights the need to consider cultural factors in financial policy making.The collectivist culture from traditional rice farming in China leads households to prefer stock market investments and lottery purchases while reducing their need for insurance. This demonstrates the strong influence of cultural heritage on modern financial decisions and highlights the need to consider cultural factors in financial policy making.

Pricing the Priceless: The Financing Cost of Biodiversity Conservation

Fukang Chen, Minhao Chen, Lin William Cong, Haoyu Gao, Jacopo Ponticelli, Feb 26, 2025

This study investigates the pricing of financial risks associated with biodiversity conservation, with a particular focus on the Green Shield Action, a major regulatory initiative launched in China in 2017 to enforce biodiversity preservation rules in national nature reserves. While the initiative improved biodiversity, it also significantly increased bond yields for municipalities that are home to these reserves, effectively raising the general cost of public capital. These effects were primarily driven by heightened default risks plausibly caused by transition costs from shutting down illegal economic activities within the reserves and additional public spending on biodiversity conservation, even when local governments raise the same amount of money. Furthermore, the study reveals that the biological benefits of these conservation policies were not adequately recognized or impounded into the prices by the capital markets.