Scandinavian Working Papers in Economics

Working Papers,
Lund University, Department of Economics

No 2008:15: Why is Chinese Regional Output Diverging?

Joakim Westerlund (), David Edgerton () and Sonja Opper ()
Additional contact information
Joakim Westerlund: Department of Economics, Lund University, Postal: Department of Economics, School of Economics and Management, Lund University, Box 7082, S-220 07 Lund, Sweden
David Edgerton: Department of Economics, Lund University, Postal: Department of Economics, School of Economics and Management, Lund University, Box 7082, S-220 07 Lund, Sweden
Sonja Opper: Department of Economics, Lund University, Postal: Department of Economics, School of Economics and Management, Lund University, Box 7082, S-220 07 Lund, Sweden

Abstract: In a recent paper Pedroni and Yao (2006) present strong evidence suggesting that Chinese regional output is diverging, a result that flies in the face of the current opinion of Chinese policymakers. This paper provides an in-depth analysis of the reasoning behind this finding. Our main result is that divergence does exist, even when new data and more advanced methods of analysis are used. We also find that it has both an idiosyncratic and a common component. Hence, the increased output inequalities observed at the regional level are due to both region-specific disparities and to disparities between clubs of regions.

Keywords: China; Output convergence; Panel unit root tests; Common factor

JEL-codes: C33; O53; R11

24 pages, First version: October 29, 2008. Revised: December 3, 2008.

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Published as
Joakim Westerlund, David Edgerton and Sonja Opper, (2010), 'Why is Chinese Provincial Output Diverging?', Journal of Asian Economics, vol 21, pages 333-344

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