Prospects for Continued High Economic Growth in China

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In The Media

Prospects for Continued High Economic Growth in China

By Dr. Albert Keidel

Published on Nov 10, 2004

Source: Paper presented at the POSRI International Forum on China's Development

This paper reviews China's current economy with an eye to its future prospects and the kinds of policies that can maximize the probability that China's growth by the middle of this century will leave it with a standard of living closer to that of Spain in the year 2000. The alternative is something more in the direction of a "sick man" or "chaos" scenario of weak growth, social and political unrest, and resulting international tensions, not to mention standard-of-living challenges for ordinary Chinese. The paper's approach is ad hoc, but the unifying theme is a skeptical view of any traditional market-oriented policy proposal that is not first tested against actual conditions in China's inherited environment of market failures and incomplete institutions. If Chinese policymakers continue to address the concerns highlighted in this paper and in some cases if they adjust their approach - especially in terms of rural grain policies - then prospects for continued high economic growth in China are quite good indeed.

For full text of article, click on the link to the right.

About the Author

Dr. Albert Keidel

Former Senior Associate, China Program

Keidel served as acting director and deputy director for the Office of East Asian Nations at the U.S. Department of the Treasury. Before joining Treasury in 2001, he covered economic trends, system reforms, poverty, and country risk as a senior economist in the World Bank office in Beijing.

Recent Work

Article
As China's Exports Drop, Can Domestic Demand Drive Growth?
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Article
China’s Fourth Quarter 2008 Statistical Record
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Economy Trade China

Carnegie does not take institutional positions on public policy issues; the views represented herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Carnegie, its staff, or its trustees.

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