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Does Farming Culture Shape Household Financial Decisions?
Fang Yu, May 01, 2024This 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.
Bilateral Economies of Scope in International Trade
Yao Amber Li, Sichuang Xu, Stephen R. Yeaple, Tengyu Zhao, Jan 15, 2025This paper presents evidence that firms’ export and import decisions within the same foreign market are complementary, due to bilateral economies of scope that allow substantial cost savings when engaging in both activities. By quantifying these savings through a structural model, we show that bilateral economies of scope significantly enhance firms’ participation in international trade and amplify the effects of trade liberalization, offering new insights for policymakers and researchers.
Interregional Barriers and Economic Growth in China
Yi Han, Mingqin Wu, Sep 25, 2024The article discussess that China's policy reform of integrating counties into larger prefecture-level divisions (che xian she qu) significantly promoted regional economic specialization, reduced interregional market barriers, and played a crucial role in driving economic growth.The article discussess that China's policy reform of integrating counties into larger prefecture-level divisions (che xian she qu) significantly promoted regional economic specialization, reduced interregional market barriers, and played a crucial role in driving economic growth.
Destination-Specific Export Expansions and Their Impact on Education and Long-Term Outcomes in China
Junsen Zhang, Kang Zhou, Jul 17, 2024This article discusses that export expansions to wealthy countries significantly increased high school enrollment rates in specific regions and among certain groups in China, but this impact did not translate into an increased prevalence of higher education. Instead, it had long-term effects on employment and fertility outcomes for the affected cohorts.
Digital Dividends? Rural E-Commerce and the Urban-Rural Income Gap
Lei Wang, Yongming Sun, Oct 15, 2025We examine the impact of China’s Rural E-Commerce Comprehensive Demonstration (RECD) project on the urban-rural income gap. Using county-level data from 2006 to 2022 and a time-varying difference-in-differences design, we find that participation in the RECD project led to a significant reduction in urban-rural income disparity. The effects were especially pronounced in less-developed regions, poverty-designated counties, and areas with weaker digital infrastructure and gains were disproportionately concentrated among rural households. These “biased” digital dividends contrast with market-driven e-commerce development, such as Taobao Villages, which tended to exacerbate inequality.
