SYMPOSIUM

Introduction to the Symposium on China’s

Economic Future

ANNE CARTER, GARY JEFFERSON and PETER PETRI

On November 18, 1996, the Asia-Pacific Center of Brandeis University’s Graduate School of International Economics and Finance hosted a workshop in which schol- ars-economists, political scientists and legal scholars from the United States and China-exchanged views concerning China’s economic future. ’ They were asked to extend their analytical reach over the medium to long-term, spanning the next ten to twenty-five years. To provide provide a starting point and to help organize themes and issues relating to the topic, Professor Gary Jefferson prepared and distributed a dis- cussion paper which participants were invited to address during the workshop. The following set of symposium papers begins with an edited version of that discussion paper, followed by commentary by Professors William Alford, Wu Jinglian, Steven Cohen and Dwight Perkins.

The year which has passed since the workshop has, for China, witnessed major events including the passing of Deng Xiaoping and the return of Hong Kong. None- theless, with its eye on China’s economic condition well into the Twenty-First Century, the analysis and commentary that was exchanged in the workshop, a portion of which appears on the following pages, is just as timely now as it was a year ago.

This workshop was the first of a series that the Asia-Pacific Center plans to spon- sor on aspects China’s economic transformation. The second, “Ownership Reform in Chinese Industry,” convened last April and, we expect, will be followed by other exchanges on subjects to include technical change and the environment in China. We appreciate the opportunity to share the fruits of the first workshop with the readers of the Jo~mal o~A~i~~ Economics and look forward to again presenting the proceedings

Anne Carter * Fred C. Hecht Professor of Economics, Brand&s University, 415 South St., Waltham, kusachusetts, 02254.91 IO.

Gary Jefferson * Professor of Economics Brand&s University. Peter Petri * Dean, Graduate School of International Economics and Finance, Brand& University.

Journal of Asian Economics, Vol. 8, No. 4, 1997 pp. 579-580 Copyright 0 1997 by JAI Press Inc. ISSN: 1049-0078 Ali rights of reproduction in any form reserved.

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of the Brandeis China Workshop on these pages. We also appreciate deeply the thoughtful and lively participation of all the members of this first workshop.

NOTES

1. The Center gratefully acknowledges the support of the Japan Foundation’s Center for Global Partnership and the Henry Lute Foundation’s U.S.-China Cooperative Research Program. The work- shop was organized in the context of the Center’s on going research on the Asia-Pacific region and China’s economic transition.