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Econ 118 > Lec 5.2 Trade Reform > Flashcards

Lec 5.2 Trade Reform Flashcards

1
Q

Other terminologies for Opening Up and Reform

A

Opening up - open, release, liberalization (KaiFang)

Reform - to change (Gaige)

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2
Q

Difference between opening up and reform

A

Opening up and liberalization are used interchangeably without distinction

An economy can do domestic reform without opening up

Liberalization: opening up to foreign cooperation, trade, investment -> Liberalization is generally more related to opening up a domestic economic to foreign cooperation/trade/investment

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3
Q

Trade Reform Timeline from 1950s, 1978, 1985, 1986, 1990, 1992, 1997, 2001, 2008

A

1950s - Isolation, Autarky

1978 - Opening up & trade reform, first movers of HK entrepreneurs through EPs

1985 - Plaza Accord (Yuan depreciated by ‘84), Relocation of production networks

1986 - Implementation of CDS

1990 - Explosion of trade in machinery parts, intermediate goods

1992 - end of 1st phase reform - start of FDI inflows

1997 - Asian Financial Crisis

2001 - Entry/Membership in WTO

2008 - Global Financial Crisis

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4
Q

Foreign Trade during Centrally Planned Economy

A
  • International Trade was unified in 1950
  • Specialized FTC (Foreign Trade Companies) were created
  • The State was the monopolist and the monopsonist: the single seller and
    the buyer of all traded goods
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5
Q

Situation of Chinese Foreign Trade before 1978 Trade Reform

A

1) Period of isolation post GLF

2) Period of self-reliance and strategic self-sufficiency

3) During the Cultural Revolution - everything foreign was
discouraged and frowned upon (strong aversion to foreign domination)

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6
Q

China’s Foreign Trade situation from 1949-1960 (Pre-1978 trade)

A
  • 1949 to 1960 – foreign trade mainly with the Soviet bloc
  • IMPORTED industrial raw materials, energy, fuel, machinery to implement five year plan from 1953-1957
  • EXPORTED textiles and processed food
  • At this time, if M>X, China has to borrow to finance the trade deficit ( BOP
    Accounting Principle)
  • Soviet Union extended credit to China, the country was in a perpetual state of trade deficit -> POLICY MOTIVATION TO IMPLEMENT REFORM
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7
Q

Two Channels of Control / Double air-lock

A

1) Centrally controlled foreign trade monopoly

2) Foreign exchange system

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8
Q

What were the occurrences when the foreign exchange system was under government control

A
  • Renminbi fixed below market level (distorted macro policies – one of the
    Trinity)
  • Renminbi was not convertible
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9
Q

Effects of double air lock

A
  • Insulates domestic market from global markets
  • Government is the monopolist/monopsonist – single seller/buyer
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10
Q

What were the occurrences when foreign trade was monopolized

A

1) 12 national FTCs exercised monopolies over imports and exports

2) FTCs buy at domestic/controlled prices and sell at world prices;
buy at world prices but sell the products at domestic controlled prices

3) Only authorized goods were allowed to pass through this first layer
of control

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11
Q

What are FTCs

A

state monopolies

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12
Q

Define the purpose of State Control

A

to regulate foreign trade and serve the interest of the planned economy,

i.e., fill in domestic supply gaps, import
modern technology , raw materials

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13
Q

Define State monopoly

A

more effective in regulating trade than price and non-price policy tools

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14
Q

Initial Trade Reforms

A

1) New innovative trade channels opened in late 70s (1978-1992)

2) Introduction of EPs which eventually became SEZs

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15
Q

Where were the newly-opened trade channels established?

A

Coastal regions close to HK and Taiwan -> GUANGZHOU (in Guangdong) and FUJIAN

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16
Q

Why were the trade channels opened there?

A
  • Guangzhou and Fujian are part of MARITIME CHINA where they conducted trade historically
  • Wanted to trade and open up while their domestic market remains insulated from the global market
  • Lessons from history: Visit of MacCarthy
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17
Q

What instrument was used in order to limit the opening of trade channels in Guangzhou?

A

Export Processing (EP) contracts which eventually became SEZs

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18
Q

What are the elements/processes of EPs

A

1) HK firm brings in raw materials to China, tariff free

2) Domestic firms from China provide cheap labor

3) ALL outputs produced by Chinese laborers are SOLD to HK firms

4) HK firms provided capital, latest technology

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19
Q

What were the initial effects of EPs?

A

1) SOEs are still not exposed to competition

2) There is an indirect participation in the export production network of HK

3) Simulation of free trade conditions

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20
Q

Where was the first 4 SEZs set up and why?

A

Guangdong and Fujian

Proximity to HK and Taiwan

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21
Q

What are SEZs

A

1) Result of the Expansion of EP trade

2) Has special powers within the existing foreign trade system

3) Industrialized enclave that continued to shape trade development

22
Q

What are SEZs’ special powers?

A

Imports brought in to SEZs are exempted from duties and taxes as long as the goods are imported in the zones that are intended for manufacturing exports

23
Q

At the expansion of EPs into SEZs, what happened to centrally-controlled FTCs?

A

FTC Provincial branches continued to operate and they can still retain foreign exchange income generated from exports

24
Q

What is the Plaza Accord

A

Initiated by the US in 1985 in order to help the country CORRECT their TRADE DEFICIT

25
Q

Effects of Plaza Accord by the US

A

CURRENCY REALIGNMENT by depreciating the dollar, allowing other currencies to appreciate against it (Yen, Franc, pound)

HIGHER LABOR COSTS as currencies appreciated

26
Q

How is China involved in the Plaza Accord?

A

China’s currency devaluation coincided with this period of realignment (started in ‘84) as part of their TRADE REFORM

27
Q

What pushed countries to move production/relocate to lower-wage locations?

A

1) currency realignment and 2) higher labor costs

28
Q

To where did they relocate?

A

Lower-cost countries in SEA, coinciding with China’s currency devaluation

29
Q

Why was China devaluating their currency?

A

By keeping their currency BELOW equilibrium, they are making their EXPORTS CHEAPER

30
Q

What was the effect of China’s devaluation of currency?

A

Cheap labor allowed them to become an ATTRACTIVE SITE TO PRODUCE CHEAPER GOODS -> FDIs SHIFTED TO CHINA as a result

31
Q

What are the effects when FDI shifted to China?

A

1) Trade surplus of Newly Industrializing Economics (NIE) (HK, SK, SG, TW) and with US and EU shifted to China

2) SEA countries – envious, threatened and worried

3) China’s trade deficit with SEA

32
Q

4 key elements of trade liberalization

A

1) setting realistic exchange rate (devaluation)

2) demonopolizing the trading system (demonopolization of foreign trade regime)

3) liberalizing import prices

4) setting up a normal tariff system (system of tariffs and non-tariff barriers)

32
Q

(1) What occurred during the devaluation of currency in the price of foreign exchange?

A

1) Traded good has two prices: 1) national price and the 2) price of the currency

2) Depreciation of currency – alters relative price within traded/tradable goods

3) Liberalization of foreign exchange to price tradable goods properly -> changed incentives from a protectionist regime to export-oriented policy

33
Q

(1) What was the situation prior to the 1st element of reform?

A

Before the devaluation of currency,

1) Yuan was OVERVALUED (below market level)

2) BOP Accounting: current account – open ; capital account – closed

34
Q

(2) What occurred during the demonopolization of foreign trade regime?

A

1) Remove/reduce state monopoly (12 FTCs), relaxed entry for
international trading, number of FTC companies allowed to expand

2) Provincial branches of FTCs were granted autonomy under a dual track system where they surrender FX target quota and keep above quota FX

3) Trade licensing: right to export and import were granted to some 10,000
enterprises

35
Q

(3) What occurred during the liberalizing of import prices?

A

1) Liberalizing import prices allowed world market prices to interact
with local markets

2) World prices can now be transmitted to the domestic economy

36
Q

(4) What occurred during the system of tariffs and non-tariff barriers?

A

1) Replaced by trade policies – price and non-price

2) Early 1980’s – a new set of tariffs were implemented

3) NTBs – regulation of trading rights

4) Trade Regime similar to many developing countries protecting their
domestic industries and import competing sectors

37
Q

When EPs became full blown export processing zones in the late 70s, what were the 2 existing regimes?

A

Dualistic trade regime: (1) ORDINARY TRADE vs. (2) EXPORT PROCESSING CONTRACTS

OTs vs. EPs

38
Q

What’s the difference between OT and EP?

A

OT goes through tariffs and NTBs

EPs is a free trade zone with no trade restrictions

39
Q

Why was Coastal Development Strategy (CDS) launched in 1986

A

To further support the export restructuring of Asian
production networks (note that production networks started relocating in ‘85)

40
Q

What was the effect of CDS?

A

EPs trade grew rapidly and it surpassed OTs in size

41
Q

What did the CDS entail?

A

1) all types of firms in the coastal provinces, including TVEs were
allowed to engage in EPs

2) Foreign investors in HK and Taiwan moved in

3) Exporting firms were allowed to operate outside of the domestic protective trade regime

42
Q

Why did OT had to wait for WTO entry and multilateral liberalization?

A

Because domestic firms weren’t as competitive in exports (compared to EPs) due to lack of access to resources and technology

Had to wait for WTO membership in order to fully tap into global trade export potential

43
Q

What are the characteristics of the Export Processing System?

A

(1) Entire coastal region was an EP zone (SEZ)

(2) It extended to any area where there are foreign-invested enterprise (FIEs) and reinforced their advantage

(3) EPs moved into an integral part of global high technology production
networks

(4) FIEs eventually moved into the coastal provinces that are export power houses of China

(5) Mainly responsible for most of China’s exports

44
Q

What is the relevance of China’s membership in WTO?

A

This was the motivating factor to implement trade reforms

44
Q

Background of the 1997 Asian Financial Crisis

A
  • SEA – liberalized both CA and capital account convertibility in early 90s after
    removing tariff and NTBs in the 80s
  • Open and liberal economies of East Asia poised to emerge entered a sharp
    recession
  • CA account convertible; Capital account - closed
  • Competitive devaluation: silent debut of China
  • Fixed exchange rate of the RMB - anchor
  • Effects - felt in the regional economies of East Asia and the Pacific
45
Q

Entry to and Membership in WTO

A

Entry to and Membership in WTO:

(1) Process of Accession: Before joining the World Trade Organization (WTO), China had to make a series of changes and reforms to its economic policies, laws, and regulations to meet the WTO’s standards.

(2) Commitments: After becoming a member of the WTO, China agreed to continue making additional reforms and follow specific rules to comply with WTO requirements.

46
Q

What is the one important reform that China undertook before WTO membership?

A

Unification of the exchange rate in 1994 that GREATLY LIBERALIZED ACCESS to foreign exchange, although with limited convertibility

47
Q

What were the ongoing reformation commitments that China had to fulfill after joining the WTO?

A

Chinese reforms driven by WTO membership:

1) Liberalize the OT regime -> trading rights to all WTO members

2) Foreign trade law –> remove restrictions /liberalize trade reserved for state-owned FTCs

3) Lower tariffs

47
Q

When did China file for membership and when was it granted?

A

Filed for membership in 1986

Membership granted in 2001

Within 15 years, regional and global economy changed substantively

48
Q

What are IMPACTS of China’s membership in WTO?

A

1) China’s exports surged

2) Large trade surplus

3) RMB appreciated slightly only after the surge in exports/trade surplus

4) Created shocks and trade frictions in the global trading system

Econ 118 (5 decks)

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