Using Multiple Tools to Analyze Resource Exchange in China

Nan Li, Tianzhu Zhang, Jianchuan Qi and Yuanyi Huang
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Nan Li: School of Information Management, Beijing Information Science & Technology University, Beijing 100192, China
Tianzhu Zhang: School of Environment, State Key Joint Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
Jianchuan Qi: College of Architecture and Environment, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, China
Yuanyi Huang: Civil and Environmental Engineering School, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing 100083, China

Sustainability, 2015, vol. 7, issue 9, 1-14

Abstract: With the rapid development of globalization, the function of international physical resource exchange is becoming increasingly important in economic growth through resource optimization. However, most existing ecological economy studies use physical trade balance (PTB) directly or use physical imports and exports individually to analyze national material metabolization. Neither the individual analysis of physical imports and exports nor the direct analysis of PTB is capable of portraying the comprehensive contributions of a certain product to total physical trade. This study introduced an indicator, i.e. , the physical contribution to the trade balance (PCB), which evolved from the traditional index of contribution to the trade balance (CB). In addition, trade balance (TB), PTB, CB, and PCB were systematically related and combined. An analysis was conducted using the four tools to obtain overall trade trends in China. This study discovered that both physical trade value and quantity exhibited different characteristics when China joined the World Trade Organization in 2002 and experienced the global economic crisis in 2009. Finally, the advantages of a supporting policy decision by applying multiple analytical tools to physical trade were discussed.

Keywords: economy-wide material flow analysis; trade balance; physical trade balance; index of contribution to the trade balance; index of physical contribution to the trade balance (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2015
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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