Towards Rivalry or Concert? A China–US Financial Competition Triumvirate

Author(s):  
Falin Zhang

Abstract Given the pivotal role of finance in interstate relations as a prominent source of international power, China–US financial competition, or even confrontation, could be more intense and devastating than trade conflict. It hence merits greater policy and academic attention and communication between the two states. This article takes stock of a triumvirate of Chinese views regarding China’s financial rise and potential China–US financial competition that has empirical and epistemological dimensions. Empirically, it signifies three major issue areas: Renminbi (RMB) strategies and dollar hegemony; the China–US financial imbalance and debt relations; and US dominance of global financial governance and ‘Zhongguo Fangan’—Chinese Solutions. RMB strategies to break dollar hegemony include a further three areas: International Monetary System reform; RMB internationalisation; and financial opening-up. Epistemologically, the empirical analyses present a triumvirate of embedded and interweaved angles: normative and universal; technical and micro level; and power and nationalist. Based on a triumvirate of perspectives, it argues that China’s financial rise is variously limited in relevant fields, and that China–US financial competition also varies according to different issue areas associated with different financial powers, and thus calls for a reductionist, field-specific, and pluralistic approach to managing China–US financial competition.

1988 ◽  
Vol 27 (1) ◽  
pp. 81-83
Author(s):  
Nadeem A. Burney

Its been long recognized that various economies of the world are interlinked through international trade. The experience of the past several years, however, has demonstrated that this economic interdependence is far greater than was previously realized. In this context, the importance of international economic theory as an area distinct from general economics hardly needs any mentioning. What gives international economic theory this distinction is international markets for some goods and effects of national sovereignty on the character of economic activity. Wilfred Ethier's book, which incorporates recent developments in the field, is an excellent addition to textbooks on international economics for one- or twosemester undergraduate courses. The book mostly covers standard topics. A distinguishing feature of this book is its detailed analysis of the flexible exchange rates and a discussion of the various approaches used for their determination. Within each chapter, the author has extensively used facts, figures and major events to clarify the concepts in the light of the theoretical framework. The book also discusses, in a fair amount of detail, the existing international monetary system and the role of various international organizations.


Author(s):  
Atish R. Ghosh ◽  
Jonathan D. Ostry ◽  
Mahvash S. Qureshi

This concluding chapter argues that the policy makers' vade mecum laid out in the previous chapter raises broader issues for the global monetary system. Notwithstanding the fact that some of the emerging markets may have liberalized their capital accounts prematurely, it questions whether emerging markets have further to gain from opening up, or indeed whether they would not be better off retaining restrictions on at least the riskiest forms of foreign liabilities and transactions. This is particularly pertinent since most of these countries do not enjoy the liquidity insurance provided by swap facilities let alone the reserve currency status. They are forced to self-insure through reserve accumulation, which is costly both to the country and to the international monetary system. Alternative forms of insurance could arguably yield favorable benefit–cost trade-offs, particularly if they result in a safer mix of flows that makes economies less prone to risks from changes in global push factors.


2001 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jiří Jonáš

In this article, I would first discuss briefly what we know about the causes of the recent financial crises, and whether the International Monetary Fund (IMF) could have done more to prevent them. I will explain what policy strategies the IMF recommended to resolve these crises, why it recommended these policies, and to what extent is the criticism of these recommendations justified. In the second part, I will discuss the lessons which the IMF has drawn from these crises. I will explain how the experience of recent years has changed the thinking about the proper role of the IMF in supporting stable international monetary system. I will focus on two broad areas of changes in the activity of the IMF. First, on measures that are being taken to make the repetition of financial crises less likely; second, on measures to be applied if the prevention fails and if a financial crisis strikes again.


2011 ◽  
Vol 50 (2) ◽  
pp. 179-180 ◽  
Author(s):  
Uzma Zia

Asia and Policymaking for the Global Economy is a collection of analysis on global economic cooperation. In particular it highlights Asia’s accomplishments, opportunities, its potential, and the role it can play in the global economy. It is divided into five chapters each constituting a different insightful article. The first chapter gives an introduction and an over view of the topics analysed in this book. It focuses on the structural transformation in Asia and the world economy, and discusses the rise of Asia and implications for economic coordination at international level. The second chapter focuses on growth dynamics in Asia in a global context. It provides an important contribution to the subject issue as it analyses the sources of structural transformation experienced by world economy. It suggests that policy-makers should focus on global savings and investment structures to rebalance world economy. The rebalancing debate is then connected to the debate on the international monetary system and role of reserve currencies in this chapter.


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