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Electronics Production Upgrading: Is China Exceptional?

Author

Listed:
  • Ari Van Assche

    (HEC Montr´eal and CIRANO)

  • Byron Gangnes

    (University of Hawaii at Manoa)

Abstract

In this paper, we make use of a unique world electronics production data set to assess China’s upgrading trajectory in the global electronics industry. Contrary to existing studies, we find no evidence that China’s electronics production activities are more sophisticated than one would expect from its level of development. We also find little evidence that China is rapidly upgrading into more sophisticated production activities.

Suggested Citation

  • Ari Van Assche & Byron Gangnes, 2007. "Electronics Production Upgrading: Is China Exceptional?," Working Papers 200722, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Department of Economics.
    • Handle: RePEc:hai:wpaper:200722
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    File URL: http://www.economics.hawaii.edu/research/workingpapers/WP_07-22.pdf
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Carl Bonham & Byron Gangnes & Ari Van Assche, 2007. "Fragmentation and East Asia's information technology trade," Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 39(2), pages 215-228.
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    7. Barry Naughton, 2007. "The Chinese Economy: Transitions and Growth," MIT Press Books, The MIT Press, edition 1, volume 1, number 0262640643, December.
    8. Guillaume Gaulier & Françoise Lemoine & Deniz Ünal-Kesenci, 2005. "China’s Integration in East Asia: Production Sharing, FDI & High-Tech Trade," Working Papers 2005-09, CEPII research center.
    9. Lall, Sanjaya & Weiss, John & Zhang, Jinkang, 2006. "The "sophistication" of exports: A new trade measure," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 34(2), pages 222-237, February.
    10. Gene M. Grossman & Esteban Rossi-Hansberg, 2008. "Trading Tasks: A Simple Theory of Offshoring," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 98(5), pages 1978-1997, December.
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Jarreau, Joachim & Poncet, Sandra, 2012. "Export sophistication and economic growth: Evidence from China," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 97(2), pages 281-292.
    2. Yuan Fang & Guoda Gu & Hongyi Li, 2015. "The impact of financial development on the upgrading of China’s export technical sophistication," International Economics and Economic Policy, Springer, vol. 12(2), pages 257-280, June.
    3. Sandra Poncet & Felipe Starosta, 2013. "Export upgrading and growth in China: the prerequisite of domestic embeddedness," PSE - G-MOND WORKING PAPERS halshs-00960684, HAL.
    4. Ari Van Assche & Chang Hong & Veerle Slootmaekers, 2008. "China's International Competitiveness: Reassessing the Evidence," LICOS Discussion Papers 20508, LICOS - Centre for Institutions and Economic Performance, KU Leuven.
    5. Byron Gangnes & Ari Van Assche, 2010. "Global Production Networks in Electronics and Intra-Asian Trade," LICOS Discussion Papers 25710, LICOS - Centre for Institutions and Economic Performance, KU Leuven.
    6. Poncet, Sandra & Starosta de Waldemar, Felipe, 2013. "Export Upgrading and Growth: The Prerequisite of Domestic Embeddedness," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 51(C), pages 104-118.
    7. Lectard, Pauline & Rougier, Eric, 2018. "Can Developing Countries Gain from Defying Comparative Advantage? Distance to Comparative Advantage, Export Diversification and Sophistication, and the Dynamics of Specialization," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 102(C), pages 90-110.
    8. Burak Sencer Atasoy, 2021. "The determinants of export sophistication: Does digitalization matter?," International Journal of Finance & Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 26(4), pages 5135-5159, October.
    9. Pula, Gabor & Santabárbara, Daniel, 2012. "Is China climbing up the quality ladder?," BOFIT Discussion Papers 23/2012, Bank of Finland Institute for Emerging Economies (BOFIT).
    10. Zhu, Shujin & Fu, Xiaolan, 2013. "Drivers of Export Upgrading," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 51(C), pages 221-233.
    11. Ari Van Assche & Byron Gangnes, 2011. "Product Modularity and the Rise of Global Value Chains: Insights from the Electronics Industry," CIRANO Working Papers 2011s-64, CIRANO.
    12. repec:zbw:bofitp:2012_023 is not listed on IDEAS
    13. Ruilin Yang & Harald Bathelt, 2022. "China's outward investment activity: Ambiguous findings in the literature and empirical trends in greenfield investments," Growth and Change, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 53(1), pages 313-341, March.
    14. Giorgia Giovannetti & Marco Sanfilippo & Margherita Velucchi, 2011. "The “China effect” on EU Exports to OECD markets – A focus on Italy," Working Papers - Economics wp2011_17.rdf, Universita' degli Studi di Firenze, Dipartimento di Scienze per l'Economia e l'Impresa.
    15. Faheem Ur Rehman & Ejaz Ahmad & Muhammad Asif Khan & József Popp & Judit Oláh, 2021. "Does Trade Related Sectoral Infrastructure Make Chinese Exports More Sophisticated and Diversified?," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(10), pages 1-21, May.
    16. Giorgia Giovannetti, Marco Sanfilippo and Margherita Velucchi, 2012. "The impact of China on manufacturing exports of Italy and Germany," RSCAS Working Papers 2012/26, European University Institute.
    17. XU, Bin & LU, Jiangyong, 2009. "Foreign direct investment, processing trade, and the sophistication of China's exports," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 20(3), pages 425-439, September.
    18. Gabor Pula & Daniel Santabárbara, 2012. "Is china climbing up the quality ladder?," Working Papers 1209, Banco de España.
    19. Holmström, Harald & Seppälä, Timo, 2020. "Supranationalism, Sino-American Technology Separation, and Semiconductors: First Observations," ETLA Working Papers 82, The Research Institute of the Finnish Economy.
    20. Song Zhang & Chunlai Chen, 2020. "Does Outward Foreign Direct Investment Facilitate China's Export Upgrading?," China & World Economy, Institute of World Economics and Politics, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, vol. 28(5), pages 64-89, September.
    21. Xu, Bin, 2010. "The sophistication of exports: Is China special?," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 21(3), pages 482-493, September.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    China; industrial upgrading; electronics;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • O10 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - General
    • O14 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Industrialization; Manufacturing and Service Industries; Choice of Technology
    • L63 - Industrial Organization - - Industry Studies: Manufacturing - - - Microelectronics; Computers; Communications Equipment

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