Newsletter No. 56

CUHK NEWSLETTER Success Stories of the Four Little Dragons An international conference to study the economic development and transformation of the 'Four Little Dragons' was held on 4th and 5th June at the Regal Riverside Hotel in Sha Tin. Jointly organized by the Department of Decision Sciences and Managerial Economics and the School of Continuing Studies, the two-day meeting attracted some 30 scholars and experts from the USA, Australia, South Korea, Singapore, Taiwan and Hong Kong, including H. Beladi, editor of the International Review of Economics and Finance; K. Choi, editor of the Review of International Economics; B. R. Hazari and P. M. Sgro, editors of the Journal of International Trade and Economic Development; and A li Khan, Abram Hutzler Professor of the John Hopkins University. In the discussion sessions, the economic success of the four little dragons was analysed in great detail. Participants examined the relationship between free trade and environment, and the various factors of growth including cultural factors. They also studied issues brought about by economic transformation, such as the need for industrial upgrading and its impact on workers. Economic Development Across the Taiwan Strait and Economic Cooperation in the Asia-Pacific Region The Japan and Asia-Pacific Development Research Programme of the Hong Kong Institute of Asia-Pacific Studies organized a conference on 9th and 10th June on the latest economic development across the Taiwan Strait and the prospect of economic cooperation i n the As i a - Pac i f ic region. Some 20 scholars and experts from China, Taiwan and Hong Kong attended the function and presented papers on relevant issues, including the i n f l ux of Taiwan's investment to China, economic interaction between mainland China and Taiwan, and how their relationship would influence economic cooperation in the Asia-Pacific region. The two-day conference was held at the University's Cho Yiu Conference Hall and sponsored by the Ming-yu Culture Foundation (Taipei), The Chinese Economic and Trade Association (Hong Kong) and The Hong Kong and Macau Association (Taipei). Business, Economics and Finance in the Pacific Basin The Department of Finance hosted an international conference entitled 'Pacific Basin: Business, Economics and Finance' to study the financial markets and product developments in the 'Pacific Basin', an area tipped to dominate the world economy in the next century. Sponsored by National Taiwan University, the Hong Kong Futures Exchange, the Hong Kong Economic Times, the Hong Kong - America Center, and the University's Faculty of Business Adm i n i s t r a t i o n, the conference was held at the Cho Yiu Conference Hall from 27th to 28th May. Academics, government senior officials, chief executives of stock and futures exchanges, directors of research institutes, and practitioners in the financial industry gathered to discuss the economic relations among Pacific Basin countries, business and finance in the area, the banking industry, international investment and portfolio management, futures markets in the region and investment opportunities in China. Among the guest speakers were Mr. Leong Ka Chai, chairman of the Hong Kong Futures Exchange; Mr. Andrew Sheng, deputy chief executive of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority; Mr. Ivers Riley, chief executive of the Hong Kong Futures Exchange; Mr. Paul Chow, chief executive of the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong; and Rong-I Wu, director of the Taiwan Institute of Economic Research. NO.56JULY 1994 3