This paper examines the contribution of exports to growth in China since the early years of the decade. It is estimated that, despite a high import content ranging between 40 and 50 percent, approximately one-third of Chinese growth before the global crisis was a result of exports, due to their phenomenal growth of some 25 percent per annum. This figure increases to 50 percent if spillovers to consumption and investment are allowed for. The main reason for excessive dependence on foreign markets is underconsumption. This is due not so much to a high share of household savings in GDP as to a low share of household income and a high share of profits. It is argued that China can no longer maintain such high growth rates for its exports, and, therefore, needs to turn to consumption-led growth by expanding the share of wages and household income in GDP and accelerating public spending in social infrastructure.

This paper assesses the sustainability of China's export-oriented growth over the medium to longer term. It shows that maintaining the current export-oriented growth would require significant gains in market share through lower prices in a range of industries. This, in turn, could be achieved through a combination of increases in productivity, lower profits, and higher implicit or explicit subsidies to industry. However, the evidence suggest that it will prove difficult to accommodate such price reductions within existing profit margins or through productivity gains. Moving up the value-added chain, shifting the composition of exports, diversifying the export base, and increasing domestic value added of exports could give room to further export expansion. However, experiences from Asian economies that had similar export-oriented growth suggest there are limits to the global market share a country can occupy. Rebalancing growth toward private consumption would provide a large impetus to output growth and reduce the need for gaining further market share.

China's current account surplus has declined to around one-quarter the peak reached before the global financial crisis. While this is a major reduction in China's external imbalance, it has not been accompanied by a decisive shift toward consumption-based growth. Instead, the compression in its external surplus has been accomplished through increasing fixed investment so that it is now an even higher share of China's national economy. This increasing reliance on fixed investment as the main driver of China's growth raises questions about the durability of the compression in the external surplus and the sustainability of the current growth model that has had unprecedented success in lifting about 500 million people out of poverty over the last three decades. This volume examines various aspects of the rebalancing process underway in China, highlighting policy lessons for achieving stable, sustainable, and inclusive growth.

This two-volume book addresses the economic transformation occurring in China at present. The author investigates China's domestic and international policies, the impact of these policies on economic growth, and their effect on the quality of life for the people of China. In the first volume, the author distinguishes between economic growth and sustainable economic development, and discusses China's current and past economic policies towards growth. Chapters also explore the structural transformation of China's economy and its increasingly consumer-oriented nature. The second volume looks more specifically at the result of domestic policies on the quality of life for people living in China. The author examines the distribution of income, the alleviation of poverty, the Chinese education system, and the environmental cost of economic growth. These volumes will be of particular interest to researchers and scholars concerned with China's emerging economic power.

Contains updated papers from an international conference held in Brisbane, Australia, centering on China's economic reforms and economic growth, regional issues and property rights in China, environmental issues and land use, and science and technology policies. Specific topics include China's market reforms and its new forms of scientific and business alliances, sustainable land use in the Three-Gorges area, and inter-village income inequality in China. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR