This paper offers a new way of compiling effective exchange rate indices, which is then shown to perform generally better in prototype equations explaining total real exports than other published indices. Researchers can use this method to compile effective exchange rates, real or nominal,...

Intra-regional trade has been rising rapidly, especially after China's accession to the WTO in 2001. China's economy is expanding rapidly, and has already passed Japan in 2010 to become the world's second largest economy. It is clearly producing a huge impact on the world economy, and...

A series of surveys conducted in Hong Kong since 2005 shows a decline and then a recovery in the happiness index. A series of regression analysis suggests that the recent rise in the happiness index that began ahead of the financial tsunami and continued uninterrupted by the crisis possibly...

The prevalent practice of public participation in housing is taken as indicating a 'revealed public preference' for better housing for the poor. Assuming that sufficient external benefit exists to justify public housing, this paper attempts to derive analytically the best public housing...

This paper discusses the rationale behind rent control and analyses its effects using a capital theory framework in combination with traditional bid rent analysis. The experience in Hong Kong and Ontario is found to support the author's hypothesis that in addition to the reasons given by other...

The article presents and illuminates evidence, based on recent Hong Kong experience, indicating the existence of a "housing ladder effect" when housing prices increase or decrease. An increase of housing equity at the bottom of the ladder tends to translate into a trading up activity that will...

This paper discusses alternative privatization schemes for public housing in light of economic efficiency, "policy efficiency," and equity. The analysis shows that removing restrictions to resale by the purchasers is the key to improving economic efficiency and that restricting resales to target...