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Author/Editor:
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Il Houng Lee ; Murtaza H. Syed ; Liu Xueyan
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Publication Date:
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March 29, 2013
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Electronic Access:
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Free Full text
(PDF file size is 1,047KB).
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Disclaimer: This Working Paper should not be reported as representing the views of the IMF.
The views expressed in this Working Paper are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent those of the IMF or IMF policy. Working Papers describe research in progress by the author(s) and are published to elicit comments and to further debate
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Summary:
This paper proposes a possible framework for identifying excessive investment. Based on this method, it finds evidence that some types of investment are becoming excessive in China, particularly in inland provinces. In these regions, private consumption has on average become more dependent on investment (rather than vice versa) and the impact is relatively short-lived, necessitating ever higher levels of investment to maintain economic activity. By contrast, private consumption has become more self-sustaining in coastal provinces, in large part because investment here tends to benefit household incomes more than corporates. If existing trends continue, valuable resources could be wasted at a time when China’s ability to finance investment is facing increasing constraints due to dwindling land, labor, and government resources and becoming more reliant on liquidity expansion, with attendant risks of financial instability and asset bubbles. Thus, investment should not be indiscriminately directed toward urbanization or industrialization of Western regions but shifted toward sectors with greater and more lasting spillovers to household income and consumption. In this context, investment in agriculture and services is found to be superior to that in manufacturing and real estate. Financial reform would facilitate such a reorientation, helping China to enhance capital efficiency and keep growth buoyant even as aggregate investment is lowered to sustainable levels.
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Order a print copy
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Series:
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Working Paper No. 13/83
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Subject(s):
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Investment | China | Economic growth | Private consumption
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English
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Publication Date:
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March 29, 2013
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ISBN/ISSN:
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9781484309353/1018-5941
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Format:
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Paper
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Stock No:
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WPIEA2013083
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Pages:
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24
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Price:
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US$18.00 )
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Please address any questions about this title to
publications@imf.org
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