Russian Accession to the WTO: An Assessment

A senior World Bank economist presents a study focusing on issues controlling Russia's accession to the WTO in 2007. The paper discusses the principal reform commitments that Russia has made in an effort to become a member of the organization and addresses the question of whether the country faces excessive demands due to political considerations. While exploring such issues as potential relations with foreign exporters and investors, the author summarizes the relevant parts of his recent joint study of Russian import tariffs that casts a new light on a complex aspect of international trade. Among other problems relating to Russia's entry, he discusses in some detail branch banking and the tradedistorting subsidies in agriculture. Journal of Economic Literature, Classification Numbers: F13, F40, O19. 3 tables, 26 references.     

Foreign Banking in China: A Study of 279 Branch Units in 32 Cities

Two China-based geographers examine the gradual relaxation of restrictions on the activity of foreign banks in China as a prelude to a more focused investigation of the concentrated locational pattern of foreign banking in that country. The study, which embraces 32 Chinese cities, emphasizes the factors that have attracted foreign banks to particular cities and regions of China, including the existence of special banking opportunities, the so-called "follow-the customer" strategy, externalities associated with major financial centers such as Beijing and Shanghai, relaxed banking regimes in particular urban centers and special economic zones, and exposure to international trade and to a variety of foreign business enterprises. The locational preferences of foreign banks in relation to their countries of origin are addressed in some detail.     

China's Exchange Rate Controversy: A Balanced Analysis

A noted American authority on China's economy and monetary policy presents a statistical as well as theoretical analysis of a variety of perspectives on the controversy surrounding China's currency, basing his paper on both. The author provides the historical background and comprehensive summaries, focusing on different viewpoints about whether China's currency is undervalued, and thus may contribute to global imbalances. In the paper, he divides observers involved in the controversy into two main camps, namely the ones who find China's trade balances to be sensitive to price effects through exchange rate adjustments and those who emphasize other factors as bearing the responsibility for China's large surpluses, including the U.S. credit bubble emerging before the global financial crisis, as well as a version of Dutch disease.     

休闲产品主题化发展与经营

随着人们生活质量的提高,休闲已成为一种时尚。休闲产业日益兴起,休闲经济对国民经济有着巨大的影响力。在休闲产业经营的过程中,单一的、无特色的休闲产品已不能满足人们的需求,休闲产品主题化成为发展趋势。主题公园、主题酒店、主题旅游和主题购物等就是主题化休闲产品的几种表现形式。     

旅游视角下的上海F1大奖赛

F1作为世界三大赛事之一,将于2004年9月正式在中国举办上海大奖赛。F1大奖赛凭借其巨大的影响力,将为上海带来众多的社会经济效应。本文阐述了F1旅游活动的游客动机以及细分市场,分析了相关行业在F1旅游中的作用;同时,从城市旅游形象、旅游环境、基础设施、旅游经济、旅游产品几个方面论证了F1大奖赛是上海旅游发展的新极点。     

论洋务知识分子的对外贸易思想

洋务知识分子在对外贸易上主张：以中国的优势产品推行出口型贸易战略;发展本国机器工业以实现“进口替代”;组织公司以发挥对外贸易的团队优势;强化政府的宏观管理以改善贸易的内外环境;采取保商政策等。这些主张的提出,适应了时代的发展要求,从而把传统的国内贸易思想和对外无足轻重的贸易意识提高到了立国强国的现代贸易的思想高度。这对当时及此后重商、重工思想的发展以及社会经济的进步都产生了积极影响。     

上海私营金融业的联合之路:由联合放款、联合经营到联合管理

1949年5月上海解放后,不同层次的私营金融业在走向公私合营的共同目标中,所需的时间、具体的过程有着较大的区别。上海私营金融业曾两次组织对生产与其他经济事业的联合放款,此外规模较大的银行较早实现了公私合营,而数十家中小行庄公司则通过组成四个联营集团进行多种业务的联合经营并逐步过渡到两个联合总管理处,实现了从业务到人事、财务、组织多种形式的联合管理,最后在条件成熟的时候与大银行共同组成统一的公私合营银行。政府对上海地区数量众多的私营金融机构采取了导向联放、联营和联管的循序渐进的谨慎政策,是符合整个中国金融业历史实际的正确之举,体现了中国私营金融业社会主义改造的历史必然性和复杂性。     

安图沙金沟旧石器遗址发现的石器研究

安图县沙金沟遗址于2006年发现,遗址位于沙金河右岸第Ⅲ级阶地上,在地表和含角砾的黄色亚黏土层中共发现石器82件,原料以黑曜岩为主,包括石核、石片、石叶、细石叶、二类和三类工具(刮削器、雕刻器、尖状器和砍砸器等)。遗址的地质年代推测为晚更新世的晚期,即旧石器时代晚期。     

大米换橡胶：20世纪50年代的中锡贸易

1952年9月和12月,中国与锡兰从各自的需要出发,签订了以大米换橡胶为主要内容的政府贸易协定,不仅开创了新中国同尚未建交、又是不同社会制度国家签订政府贸易协定的先河,而且建立了新中国与锡兰间的贸易关系,促进了两国贸易额的迅速增长。1957年8月,中锡在签订第二个五年贸易协定时,面对超价难题,周恩来提出了将贸易和援助分开来谈,即橡胶贸易按照公平的市场价格,但中国同时给予锡兰经济援助的设想,使谈判进入了比较顺利的阶段。中锡贸易协定的执行和续订,从南亚和东南亚方向打开了美国对华封锁、禁运的缺口,促进了中锡友好关系的发展。     

我国旅游业研发总体水平、区域分布与政策建议

本文利用文献法和定量分析等方法,深入分析了我国旅游业技术和研发现状。针对我国旅游业研发总体水平低,研发能力集中于发达地区等问题,从观念、政府、机构、人才等方面提出了具体政策建议。