NBER Chengdu Workshop -- China and the World Economy

Time: June 29, 2012

Venue: 锦江宾馆 Jinjiang Hotel, Chengdu, China

Host: Research Institute of Economics and Management (RIEM),

Southwestern University of Finance and Economic （SWUFE）

June 28 (Thursday)

Meet the NBER guests at the airport for a ride to Jinjiang Hotel

June 29 (Friday)

9:00 – 9:20 am: Opening remarks

Vice Governor (Sichuan province), University President (SWUFE), James Poterba (NBER),

9:20 – 9:30 am: Group photo

9:30 – 11:00 am: Economic and Policy Outlook

Chair: Gan Li

Zhongyuan Lu (Deputy Director, Development Research Center of the State Council): Direction for Future Policy Reforms

Martin Feldstein (NBER & Harvard University): The Future of the US Economy

Xiaonian Xu (CEIBS):

Alan Auerbach (NBER & Berkeley): Fiscal Policy Challenges

11:00-11:20am: Tea/coffee break

11:20am -12:00 pm: Special Session on the China Household Finance Survey

Li Gan (SWUFE & NBER)

12:00 – 1:20 pm: Lunch

1:20 – 2:50 pm: Savings and Retirement

Chair: Martin Feldstein

Xiaobo Zhang (IFPRI): The competitive savings motive

Brigitte Madrian (NBER & Harvard University): Behavioral Economics of Savings

Li Gan (SWUFE & NBER): TBA

David Wise (NBER & Harvard University): Economics of Retirement

2:50 – 3:10 pm: Coffee/tea break

3:10 –4:40 pm: Households

Chair: Han Li

James Poterba (NBER & MIT): Demographics

Caroline Hoxby (NBER & Stanford University): Economics of Education

Shu Xu (SWUFE): Housing demand and housing policies in China

Christine Wong (Oxford University): Fiscal Federalism

4:40 – 5:00 pm: Coffee break

5:00-6:10 pm: Infrastructure

Chair: James Poterba

Yiping Huang (Peking University and Barclay Capital): Macroeconomic challenges

Han Li (SWUFE): Road investments and inventory reduction: Firm level evidence from China

Shang-Jin Wei (NBER & Columbia University): Roads and the Real Exchange Rate

7:00 pm: Dinner hosted by SWUFE

June 30 (Saturday)

8:30 am: All participants meet at the lobby of Jinjiang Hotel

Morning: Sanxingdui Museum（Guanghan Tri-Star Piles）

Lunch at Guanghan City

Afternoon: Dongfang Electric Corporation

Dinner at Dongfang Electric Corporation

July 1 (Sunday)

Adjourn

Other information:

Emergency contact:

RIEM contact persons:

Prof. Han Li: 139-8054-0874 (cell),028-87099207 (office)

Ms. Gaorong Zhou: 134-3889-1553 (cell), 028-87099145 (office)

NBER contact person:

Prof. Shang-Jin Wei: (NY) (212) 854-9139, (China cell): 1580-1700-315

Jinjiang Hotel ( 锦江宾馆)

Address: 80 Renmin South Road 2nd Section, Chengdu, Sichuan, China, 610012
(四川省成都市人民南路二段80号 )

Phone: (028)-85506666，800-886-9898

The Program Committee: Shang-Jin Wei (NBER)，Li Gan (SWUFE & NBER), and Han Li (SWUFE)