Center

Becker Friedman Institute China

BFI-China aims to produce new insights on the most critical policy challenges facing China today, and to share those findings with the world.

Chang-Tai Hsieh

Over the past three decades, the Chinese economy has experienced a transformation that is unprecedented in scale and speed. Since 1990, per capita income has increased by more than 900 percent, creating a robust and growing middle class. Poverty has plummeted, and innovation has soared—China now ranks second only to the United States in international patent applications.This remarkable growth has not come without serious challenges, however. From financial market and banking reform to environmental regulation, Chinese policymakers today are confronting a wide range of issues that will be critical to address in order to sustain further progress.

To bring the rigor of Chicago Economics to the forefront of addressing these challenges, the Becker Friedman Institute (BFI) launched BFI-China in 2018. This groundbreaking partnership between UChicago economists and Chinese researchers and institutions will produce new insights on the most critical policy challenges facing China today, and will share those findings with the world.

BFI-China’s Three Areas of Research

To support research that produces timely, relevant insights, BFI-China is organized around three targeted research initiatives. Each initiative will draw from unparalleled skills, knowledge, and expertise of UChicago faculty working in collaboration with Chinese institutional partners.

Chinese Economic Growth Initiative

The Chinese Economic Growth Initiative will conduct ground-breaking research to provide a better understanding of the factors driving China’s extraordinary economic expansion.

The Macro Finance Research Program (MFR-China)

MFRI-China will explore financial market evolution, banking reform, debt, and reform of state-owned enterprises.

Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago, China (EPIC-China)

In partnership with leading Chinese research institutions, EPIC-China will explore opportunities to achieve further, cost-effective pollution reductions that benefit Chinese citizens while fostering economic growth.

Tsinghua University – University of Chicago Joint Research Center for Economics and Finance

Established in 1911, Tsinghua University is one of China’s most prestigious and influential universities, with a tradition of academic excellence and strong international partnerships. On November 28, 2018, in conjunction with the opening of the Hong Kong Jockey Club University of Chicago Academic Complex and University of Chicago Francis and Rose Yuen Campus in Hong Kong, BFI was proud to announce a partnership with Tsinghua University’s School for Economics & Management to form the Joint Research Center for Economics and Finance.

The Research Center is a first-of-its-kind partnership that will support frontier economics research, faculty and doctoral student exchanges, and regular workshops and forums to share results and discuss areas of mutual interest. Calls for research proposals are open for UChicago and Tsinghua University economists. Log-in to the faculty intranet for more info.

Visit bfi.uchicago.cn

Associated Scholars

UChicago Scholar

Chang-Tai Hsieh

Phyllis and Irwin Winkelried Distinguished Service Professor, University of Chicago Booth School of Business; Deputy Director of BFI Development Economics Center

Associated Insights

Research Briefs·Aug 16, 2023

Housing, Household Debt, and the Business Cycle: An Application to China and Korea

Amir Sufi
While neither China nor South Korea appears at risk of a near-term severe financial crisis, consumer spending in both countries could be quite weak in the years ahead; for China, the biggest risk comes from the property market, where growth...
Research Briefs·Feb 1, 2023

Homemade Foreign Trading

Zhiguo He, Yuehan Wang, and Xiaoquan Zhu
This work offers new insights into foreign investment in China, offering evidence for the presence of homemade “foreign” investors who are likely mainland insiders who conceal themselves behind northbound flows.
Topics: Financial Markets
Research Briefs·Nov 16, 2022

Subjective Performance Evaluation, Influence Activities, and Bureaucratic Work Behavior: Evidence From China

Alain de Janvry, Guojun He, Elisabeth Sadoulet, Shaoda Wang, and Qiong Zhang
Grassroots civil servants devote substantial effort to impressing/pleasing their evaluator, rather than working toward organizational goals; introducing uncertainty about the evaluator’s identity improves work performance.
Topics: Employment & Wages