Question 1
- Explain the key characteristics of the Chinese economy during the Mao era,
- The socio-economic shortcomings that China experienced between 1949 and 1976 and (3) the accomplishments that China experienced between 1949 and 1976.
Question 2
Discuss the subsequent in relation to China's market reforms:
The political and economic factors on the basis of which China decided to undertake market reforms;
- how China's approach to market transition differs from the approach followed by the ex-Soviet economies;
- to what degree China's peculiar strategy can be considered critical for the success of China's rapid growth;
- the implications of this for other developing countries seeking to follow the same path.
Question 3
Show
- The key differences between the first and the second phase of China's reform,
- Substantiate your answer with the discussion of specific measures that demonstrate the difference between the two phases, and
- discuss the socio-economic effects of the two phases of reform.
Question 4
Discuss the current macroeconomic structure of the Chinese economy (i.e. the engines of China's growth),
- The policies that have led to the current macroeconomic structure, (
- why China's macroeconomic structure is considered unsustainable, and (4) what types of changes are advocated.
Question 5
Explain - the meaning of the so-called "global imbalances,
- how they came about, and
- the different perspectives on they how they should be approached (i.e. are they sustainable? Do we need policy intervention? Can we rely on market correction?).
Question 6
Discuss
- China's exchange rate regime,
- how the monetary policy intervenes to maintain it, and
- how it developed over time. Complete your answer by explaining
- why Yang and Heng (2012) claim that a "revalued Yuan would not bring about what these eminent economist and patriotic US congressmen wished for".
Question 7
Discuss
- how the process of globalization has affected the characteristics of labor markets in the global economy and, more specifically,
- how the process of globalization has affected the characteristics of the labor market in China and
- present the international debate on labor standards.
Question 8
Discuss how inequality, poverty and human development have been affected by China's reform process.
Question 9
Evaluate - the ecological consequences of China's rapid economic growth, and
- the challenges brought about by the need to address climate change.
Question 10
Discuss - the policy initiatives that China introduced in response to the 2008/2009 global crisis, and
- evaluate both their strengths and their problems.