IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/nbr/nberwo/12551.html
   My bibliography  Save this paper

Are Currency Appreciations Contractionary in China?

Author

Listed:
  • Jianhuai Shi

Abstract

The Chinese economy has been in a state of external and internal imbalances for some years, which has something to do with the undervaluation of renminbi (RMB). But the Chinese Government hesitates to allow RMB to appreciate because of the worry that RMB appreciations are contractionary thus have negative impact on China's economic growth and employment. The purpose of this paper is to empirically assess the effects of RMB real exchange rate on China's output. The econometric results of the paper show that (1) even after source of spurious correlation is controlled for, RMB appreciation has led to a decline in China's output, suggesting that RMB appreciations are contractionary, and that (2) once the international finance linkage of Chinese economy is accounted for, the effect of RMB real exchange rate shocks on China's output and the power of the shocks in explaining the change of China's output are diminished. The paper gives some possible explanations to those findings, and points out that the findings do not necessarily imply that China should continue maintaining the undervaluation of RMB.

Suggested Citation

  • Jianhuai Shi, 2006. "Are Currency Appreciations Contractionary in China?," NBER Working Papers 12551, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    • Handle: RePEc:nbr:nberwo:12551
    Note: IFM
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.nber.org/papers/w12551.pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. VJeffrey A. Frankel, 2005. "Mundell-Fleming Lecture: Contractionary Currency Crashes in Developing Countries," IMF Staff Papers, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 52(2), pages 149-192, September.
    2. Krugman, Paul & Taylor, Lance, 1978. "Contractionary effects of devaluation," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 8(3), pages 445-456, August.
    3. Virginie Coudert & Cécile Couharde, 2005. "Real Equilibrium Exchange Rate in China," Working Papers 2005-01, CEPII research center.
    4. Frankel, Jeffrey, 2004. "On the Renminbi: The Choice between Adjustment under a Fixed Exchange Rate and Adustment under a Flexible Rate," Working Paper Series rwp04-037, Harvard University, John F. Kennedy School of Government.
    5. Gylfason, Thorvaldur & Radetzki, Marian, 1991. "Does Devaluation Make Sense in the Least Developed Countries?," Economic Development and Cultural Change, University of Chicago Press, vol. 40(1), pages 1-25, October.
    6. Jeffrey Frankel, 2005. "Contractionary Currency Crashes In Developing Countries," CID Working Papers 117, Center for International Development at Harvard University.
    7. Alexander W. Hoffmaister & Carlos A. Végh, 1996. "Disinflation and The Recession-Now-versus-Recession-Later Hypothesis: Evidence from Uruguay," IMF Staff Papers, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 43(2), pages 355-394, June.
    8. Jeffrey Frankel, 2006. "On the Yuan: The Choice between Adjustment under a Fixed Exchange Rate and Adjustment under a Flexible Rate," CESifo Economic Studies, CESifo Group, vol. 52(2), pages 246-275, June.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. An, Lian & Kim, Gil & Ren, Xiaomei, 2014. "Is devaluation expansionary or contractionary: Evidence based on vector autoregression with sign restrictions," Journal of Asian Economics, Elsevier, vol. 34(C), pages 27-41.
    2. Jun-ichi Shinkai & Akira Kohsaka, 2009. "Global Shocks and the Japanese Economy:Structural Changes in the 1990s," OSIPP Discussion Paper 09E008, Osaka School of International Public Policy, Osaka University.
    3. Luis A. Gil-Alana & Jiang Liang, 2011. "The PPP hypothesis in the US/China relationship. Fractional integration, time variation and data frequency," Faculty Working Papers 13/11, School of Economics and Business Administration, University of Navarra.
    4. Olivier Darné & Jean-François Hoarau, 2006. "Testing the purchasing power parity in China," Working Papers hal-04138871, HAL.
    5. Eddy Bekkers & Joseph Francois, 2014. "Bilateral Exchange Rates and Jobs," Review of International Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 22(2), pages 275-298, May.
    6. Marcus Kappler & Helmut Reisen & Moritz Schularick & Edouard Turkisch, 2013. "The Macroeconomic Effects of Large Exchange Rate Appreciations," Open Economies Review, Springer, vol. 24(3), pages 471-494, July.
    7. Ana Cardoso & António Portugal Duarte, 2017. "The impact of the Chinese exchange policy on foreign trade with the European Union," Brazilian Journal of Political Economy, Center of Political Economy, vol. 37(4), pages 870-893.
    8. Soyoung Kim & Yoonbai Kim, 2016. "The RMB Debate: Empirical Analysis on the Effects of Exchange Rate Shocks in China and Japan," The World Economy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 39(10), pages 1539-1557, October.
    9. Straub, Roland & Thimann, Christian, 2010. "The external and domestic side of macroeconomic adjustment in China," Journal of Asian Economics, Elsevier, vol. 21(5), pages 425-444, October.
    10. Meng, Xianming & Siriwardana, Mahinda & McNeill, Judith, 2013. "The Impact of an Appreciation of the Chinese Yuan on the Global Trade," Conference papers 332340, Purdue University, Center for Global Trade Analysis, Global Trade Analysis Project.
    11. You, Kefei & Sarantis, Nicholas, 2012. "Structural breaks and the equilibrium real effective exchange rate of China: A NATREX approach," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 23(4), pages 1146-1163.
    12. Meng, Sam, 2015. "Modeling the impact of exchange rates using a multicurrency framework," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 49(C), pages 223-231.
    13. Selaya, Pablo & Thiele, Rainer, 2008. "Aid and sectoral labour productivity," Kiel Working Papers 1468, Kiel Institute for the World Economy (IfW Kiel).
    14. Ana Cardoso & António Portugal Duarte, 2017. "The impact of the Chinese exchange policy on foreign trade with the European Union," Brazilian Journal of Political Economy, Center of Political Economy, vol. 37(4), pages 870-893.
    15. Gil Kim & Lian An & Yoonbai Kim, 2015. "Exchange Rate, Capital Flow and Output: Developed versus Developing Economies," Atlantic Economic Journal, Springer;International Atlantic Economic Society, vol. 43(2), pages 195-207, June.
    16. Yoonbai Kim & Gil Kim, 2012. "The Renminbi Debate: A Review of Issues and Search for Resolution," Chapters, in: Jehoon Park & T. J. Pempel & Geng Xiao (ed.), Asian Responses to the Global Financial Crisis, chapter 4, Edward Elgar Publishing.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Shi, Jianhuai, 2007. "Are Currency Appreciations Contractionary in China?," 2007: China's Agricultural Trade: Issues and Prospects Symposium, July 2007, Beijing, China 55020, International Agricultural Trade Research Consortium.
    2. Jianhuai Shi, 2006. "Are Currency Revaluations Contractionary in China?," Macroeconomics Working Papers 22712, East Asian Bureau of Economic Research.
    3. Muhammad Shahbaz & Faridul Islam & Naveed Aamir, 2012. "Is devaluation contractionary? Empirical evidence for Pakistan," Economic Change and Restructuring, Springer, vol. 45(4), pages 299-316, November.
    4. An, Lian & Kim, Gil & Ren, Xiaomei, 2014. "Is devaluation expansionary or contractionary: Evidence based on vector autoregression with sign restrictions," Journal of Asian Economics, Elsevier, vol. 34(C), pages 27-41.
    5. Debabrata Datta & Susmita Chatterjee, 2013. "A Simple Model of Macroeconomic Instability in the Background of the Indian Economy," South Asian Journal of Macroeconomics and Public Finance, , vol. 2(1), pages 81-106, June.
    6. Magda Kandil, 2006. "On the transmission of exchange rate fluctuations to the macroeconomy: Contrasting evidence for developing and developed countries," The Journal of International Trade & Economic Development, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 15(1), pages 101-127.
    7. Habib Ahmed & C. Paul Hallwood & Stephen M. Miller, 2006. "The Exchange Rate-Investment Nexus and Exchange Rate Instability: Another Reason for 'Fear of Floating'," Working papers 2006-15, University of Connecticut, Department of Economics, revised Jan 2009.
    8. Mr. Alexander Culiuc, 2020. "Real Exchange Rate Overshooting in Large Depreciations: Determinants and Consequences," IMF Working Papers 2020/060, International Monetary Fund.
    9. Magda Kandil & Ida Aghdas Mirzaie, 2008. "Comparative Analysis Of Exchange Rate Appreciation And Aggregate Economic Activity: Theory And Evidence From Middle Eastern Countries," Bulletin of Economic Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 60(1), pages 45-96, January.
    10. Mohsen Bahmani-Oskooee & Ali Kutan, 2008. "Are devaluations contractionary in emerging economies of Eastern Europe?," Economic Change and Restructuring, Springer, vol. 41(1), pages 61-74, March.
    11. Yin-Wong Cheung & Menzie D. Chinn & Eiji Fujii, 2010. "China's Current Account and Exchange Rate," NBER Chapters, in: China's Growing Role in World Trade, pages 231-271, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    12. Rapetti, Martin, 2012. "Theories of real exchange rate determination: A brief survey," MPRA Paper 109369, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    13. de Ferra, Sergio & Mitman, Kurt & Romei, Federica, 2020. "Household heterogeneity and the transmission of foreign shocks," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 124(C).
    14. Mr. Luis Ignacio Jácome, 2015. "Central Banking in Latin America: From the Gold Standard to the Golden Years," IMF Working Papers 2015/060, International Monetary Fund.
    15. Carlos Capistrán & Daniel Chiquiar & Juan R. Hernández, 2019. "Identifying Dornbusch's Exchange Rate Overshooting with Structural VECs: Evidence from Mexico," International Journal of Central Banking, International Journal of Central Banking, vol. 15(5), pages 207-254, December.
    16. Soyoung Kim & Yoonbai Kim, 2016. "The RMB Debate: Empirical Analysis on the Effects of Exchange Rate Shocks in China and Japan," The World Economy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 39(10), pages 1539-1557, October.
    17. Azzouzi, asmae & Bousselhamia, Ahmed, 2019. "Impact Des Variations Du Taux De Change Reel Sur L'Economie Marocaine : Une Approche Svar A Des Restrictions De Signes [Impact Of Real Exchange Rate Variations On The Moroccan Economy: A Svar Appro," MPRA Paper 110397, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    18. Kandil, Magda & Mirazaie, Ida, 2004. "The Effects of Exchange Rate Fluctuations on Output and Prices: Evidence from Developing Countries," Journal of Developing Areas, Tennessee State University, College of Business, vol. 38(2), pages 189-219, January-M.
    19. Gil Kim & Lian An & Yoonbai Kim, 2015. "Exchange Rate, Capital Flow and Output: Developed versus Developing Economies," Atlantic Economic Journal, Springer;International Atlantic Economic Society, vol. 43(2), pages 195-207, June.
    20. David A. Steinberg & Karrie J. Koesel & Nicolas W. Thompson, 2015. "Political Regimes and Currency Crises," Economics and Politics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 27(3), pages 337-361, November.

    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • F31 - International Economics - - International Finance - - - Foreign Exchange
    • F41 - International Economics - - Macroeconomic Aspects of International Trade and Finance - - - Open Economy Macroeconomics
    • O53 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economywide Country Studies - - - Asia including Middle East

    NEP fields

    This paper has been announced in the following NEP Reports:

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:nbr:nberwo:12551. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: the person in charge (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/nberrus.html .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.