History, institutions, and economic development: evidence from Chinese treaty ports

Abstract: This dissertation investigates the enduring impact of institutions on economic development, focusing on Chinese treaty ports–port cities forcibly opened by the Westerners in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century–and the long-term economic consequences of their unique institutional frameworks, namely the Chinese Maritime Customs Service (CMC) and Concessions. The causal analysis presented in this study is robustly supported by unique historical experiments, sound identification strategies, and a comprehensive collection of data sets from historical and contemporary sources.
Chapter 1 provides motivation for the research, summarizes key findings, and outlines the dissertation’s contribution to the existing literature.
Chapter 2 offers a detailed historical background.
Chapter 3 examines the long-run effect of the CMC institution. It demonstrates that regions historically affected by the CMC institution are more developed today relative to nearby but unaffected areas. Furthermore, these areas experience lower levels of corruption in contemporary business and bureaucratic practices, indicating that the enduring impact of institutions can be attributed to the cultural norms cultivated within local societies.
In Chapter 4, the economic impact of the CMC is further explored. It shows that firms in locations historically affected by the CMC rules exhibit better innovation success today, which can be attributed to the persisting norms of honesty and lawfulness embedded in the CMC institution. They reduce local corruption and stimulate firms’ investment in R&D and training to this day.
Chapter 5 examines the long-run impact of Concessions. It shows that today’s apartments located inside historical Concession areas command a price premium of 17% compared to similar homes just outside of the Concession boundaries. This price premium can be explained by better access to urban facilities in Concession areas that persist to the present day.
Chapter 6 concludes the dissertation with critical reflections on the results

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• Location: Deutsche Nationalbibliothek Frankfurt am Main
• Extent: Online-Ressource
• Language: Englisch
• Notes: Universität Freiburg, Dissertation, 2024

Classification and Topics

• Classification: Wirtschaft
• Keyword: Wirtschaftsentwicklung ; Institutionenökonomie ; Sozioökonomischer Wandel ; China

Contributors, Places and Time

• Event: Veröffentlichung
• (where): Freiburg
• (who): Universität
• (when): 2024
• Creator: Jin, Gan
• Contributor: Schulze, Günther G. ; Feld, Lars P. ; Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg. Department of International Economic Policy ; Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg. Wirtschafts- und Verhaltenswissenschaftliche Fakultät

Further information

• DOI: 10.6094/UNIFR/259283
• URN: urn:nbn:de:bsz:25-freidok-2592834
• Rights: Open Access; Der Zugriff auf das Objekt ist unbeschränkt möglich.