The Africa-China relationship: challenges and opportunities

The dramatic growth in the relationship between Africa and China is one of the great stories of the twenty-first century, part of the profound transformations taking place in the global political economy. It has been greeted with excitement, consternation, and confusion. To its cheerleaders, it represents the enduring partnership between Africa and China, spawned by the historical affinities of struggles against Western imperialism and humanistic aspirations for development. To its critics, it is reminiscent of European colonisation a century earlier, in which Africa serves as a cheap source of raw materials, a lucrative export market for Chinese manufactured goods, and an outlet for its surplus capital. Rather than a development partner, some see China as Africa's biggest development competitor, whose explosive growth and insatiable quest for global markets threatens Africa's industrialisation and competitiveness. This paper examines the factors behind the development of Africa-China relations, especially its economic magnitude, and the challenges and opportunities it offers both regions.     

An overview: A new era of tax enforcement – from “big stick” to responsive regulation

Recent developments in regulation and tax administration in Australia inspired this article on tax compliance and responsive regulation. This article analyzes the economics of crime and compliance as the dominant approach to tax enforcement of the past three and a half decades. It evaluates the key advantages and disadvantages of the economic approach as well as its application to tax. The article then explores responsive regulation as an alternative method that draws on the economic paradigm but also supplements this approach with other theories, particularly those involving identity, conflict escalation, and procedural justice. Building on this analysis and a case study of Australian investors in mass marketed tax schemes, the article suggests that the broader, more balanced, and closely tailored method of regulating responsively may enable regulators to draw on the advantages of the economic model while alleviating some of its drawbacks. Responsive regulation may therefore constitute a superior method for regulating compliance.     

Universities and State Policy Formation: Rationalizing a Nanotechnology Strategy in Pennsylvania

Technology‐based economic development programs have become a salient feature of the state policy landscape since the 1980s. While much research exists on the topic, little attention has been given to the processes of policy formation. State programs have moved towards high technology areas emphasized at the federal level over the past decades, and nanotechnology became one of the latest targets. This paper examines the eight‐year process through which Pennsylvania adopted a “state‐wide strategy,” culminating in the Pennsylvania Initiative for Nanotechnology. In this process, programs that responded to the interests of multiple agents came first, and a state policy was formulated after the fact. This pattern of “rationalized policy formation,” as opposed to rational policy formation, may be more common than suspected. Its strengths and weaknesses in this Pennsylvania case are discussed.     

对我国经济转轨过程中产权体制改革的研究

产权制度是经济体制的“硬核”,国家经济转轨面临的根本任务在于如何尽快建起市场经济的体制“硬核”——多主体产权制度。市场经济体制的“硬核”——多主体产权制度建设的滞后带来的局部产权制度真空,造成的社会产权普遍残缺是我国产权制度的基本现状。这种产权普遍残缺对社会、经济带来了严重损害。我国应通过加快政治体制改革和健全完善法制来建立社会主义市场经济的多主体产权制度,顺利完成我国经济的转轨过程。     

程序的多重视角

程序是法学(法律)的一个独立范畴。由于语境不同,中西方对“程序”的理解有较大的差异,国内学者对法律程序进行解释时存在误读现象。完整地认识程序,需要完整的观察视角。只有从人权、法治、民主和经济等多元视角来诠释法律程序的价值和功能,才可能较完整地认识实体权利和程序权利的相互关系。     

退休政策的经济学分析及调整

退休政策通过影响劳动力的投入和养老负担对社会产出和就业人口、退休人口的福利水平产生影响，因此要对退休政策进行调整须进行较为充分的经济论证。研究对单人经济的退休年龄分析显示：存在一个基于个人一生效用最大化的“最佳”退休年龄，可合理平衡一生总产出和退休后的休闲。同理，一个多人经济社会也存在一个平均的“最佳”退休年龄。研究的结论如下：现有的退休年龄政策背景下，中国将面临日益沉重的养老负担，说明中国的退休年龄政策亟须调整；延迟退休年龄至少在长期对就业无负面影响，且可增加GDP:将暂时多余的社保基金用于金融投资无助于社会养老负担的缓解，养老金空账运行并无问题。为完善中国的退休政策，研究提出适时延长退休年龄、提高养老金标准和降低养老保险费率、对职工上缴的养老保险实施记账等建议。     

趋同还是存异——世界经济一体化下各国劳动关系的比较研究

在1945 -1975年期间的所谓资本主义的黄金时代,典型资本主义社会的劳动关系各具特色,而且总体是协调的,劳资双方在妥协基础上达到了平衡,形成了劳资两利的双赢格局.随着世界经济一体化的不断深入,各个国家的劳动关系产生了柔性化的趋同倾向.趋同确实发生,但模式多样性持续存在并且在现代全球经济中依然重要.对于中国而言,在尊重市场原则的基础上,不迷信市场,充分重视制度作用和历史传承才是解决中国劳动关系问题的关键.     

试析印度经济增长

本文叙述了印度经济增长的基本状况,对影响印度经济增长相关要素进行了论述,透析了未来印度经济增长的潜力和空间,并揭示了印度经济增长面临的困境。     

美国全球供应链调整的国家安全逻辑及实现路径

自奥巴马政府以来,特别是新冠肺炎疫情暴发后,国家安全在美国全球供应链调整中的影响日益彰显。在国家安全的视域下,美国政府调整全球供应链的逻辑依据为“国防论”与“选择性贸易保护主义”。美国的国家安全侧重国家利益与价值,全球供应链调整则诉求产品(或服务)的可替换性,二者交互作用,贸易保护主义性质的“国防论”与“选择性贸易保护主义”就成为分析美国全球供应链调整的理论分析框架。“国防论”侧重诠释具有国防意义产品(或服务)的进出口,而“选择性贸易保护主义”则分析了普通贸易实践对美国整体福利乃至国家安全的损害。美国在国家安全视域下调整全球供应链的路径依赖于软硬两种手段。一是无弹性的硬手段,表现为官僚体制、决策机制、相关法律制度与管理规范,美国全球供应链上的企业必须遵守,其具有吓阻功能。二是具有弹性的软手段,体现为国家战略以及政策说明等,其不具有强制性。基于此,这一研究有助于进一步厘清时下美国政府变动不居的对华经贸政策,构建合作与开放的中美经贸关系。     

企业伦理行为的经济力

企业伦理行为与企业资金、技术等一样影响着企业的全面发展,它们形成合力,共同推动企业前进。企业伦理行为不能再被误解为非经济因素,其本身就是直接的经济力量。我国企业伦理行为自救模式有多方面的出路,而最根本的是发挥企业伦理行为的经济力。