Title: Governance and banking system morphology in China: the evolution over the last two decades (1995-2015)

Authors: Carlo Bellavite Pellegrini; Laura Pellegrini; Bruno S. Sergi

Addresses: Department of Economics and Business Management Sciences, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, Milan, Italy; Centre for Econometric Analysis, Cass Business School, London, UK; 'BAFFI' Center on International Markets, Money and Regulation, Bocconi University, Milan, Italy; Centre for Studies in Applied Economics, Catholic University, Milan, Italy ' Department of Economics and Business Management Sciences, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, Milan, Italy; Centre for Studies in Applied Economics, Catholic University, Milan, Italy ' Davis Center for Russian and Eurasian Studies, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA; Department of Economics, University of Messina, Messina, Italy

Abstract: Over the past two decades in the Chinese banking system substantial progress has been made, and reforms have been mainly aimed at improving its governance and efficiency, but many governance problems still exist and hinder a complete transition to a market economy. Through the analysis of the economic freedom and the global governance indicators, in the context of a comparative analysis with European and North American countries, this paper shows that, despite a considerable economic growth, economic and financial reforms, Chinese governance variables are likely to have a second order effect in comparison with fundamental economic variables in favouring (or not) Chinese growth. However the high rate of growth, over the years of the financial turmoil as well, may have paradoxically prevented the improvement of governance indexes, meanwhile financial sector and global governance issues will have to be improved in order to promote efficient financial intermediation and sustainable growth in China.

Keywords: China; banking system morphology; governance indexes; economic growth.

DOI: 10.1504/WREMSD.2018.094329

World Review of Entrepreneurship, Management and Sustainable Development, 2018 Vol.14 No.5, pp.549 - 580

Received: 29 Jul 2015
Accepted: 06 Jun 2016
Published online: 30 Aug 2018 *

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