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Transition and capital misallocation : the Chinese case

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  • Damien Cubizol

    (Université de Lyon, Lyon, F-69007, France ; CNRS, GATE Lyon Saint-Etienne, Ecully, F-69130, France; Université Lyon 2, Lyon, F-69007, France)

Abstract

This paper demonstrates that the allocation of household savings to State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs) in China, and not to the increasing share of private firms, explains both the patterns of capital flows (FDI entries and the accumulation of foreign assets) and the drop in the consumption share during China's transition. The contribution is to explain these two elements in a dynamic general equilibrium model with TFP growth that differentiates FDI and foreign assets. In addition to other frictions, financial intermediation and SOEs have the crucial role by misdirecting household savings. It modifies firms' labor and capital intensiveness, and creates shifts in savings accumulation and capital flows. Moreover, the increasing share of credit-constrained private firms hinders wage growth, and returns on household savings are low to finance SOEs; these two elements reduce the consumption share. With a calibration adapted to the Chinese economy and deterministic shocks, the model also matches to a large extent the data for a variety of stylized facts over the last 30 years.

Suggested Citation

  • Damien Cubizol, 2015. "Transition and capital misallocation : the Chinese case," Working Papers 1517, Groupe d'Analyse et de Théorie Economique Lyon St-Étienne (GATE Lyon St-Étienne), Université de Lyon.
    • Handle: RePEc:gat:wpaper:1517
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    China's transition; foreign assets; FDI; consumption; global imbalances; factor market distortions;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • E20 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Consumption, Saving, Production, Employment, and Investment - - - General (includes Measurement and Data)
    • F21 - International Economics - - International Factor Movements and International Business - - - International Investment; Long-Term Capital Movements
    • F32 - International Economics - - International Finance - - - Current Account Adjustment; Short-term Capital Movements
    • O16 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Financial Markets; Saving and Capital Investment; Corporate Finance and Governance
    • P30 - Political Economy and Comparative Economic Systems - - Socialist Institutions and Their Transitions - - - General

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