Chinesische Statistik im Umbruch: Konsequenzen für die wirtschaftswissenschaftliche Forschung am Beispiel der Unternehmens- und IndustriestatistikDoris Fischer

ASIEN – Nr. 75 (2000) pp. 20–43

High hopes in the potential of the Chinese economy sometimes tempt people to neglect the problems stemming from the statistical basis on which economic analysis concerning China is built. The experience of the Asian financial crisis has made economists realize how little in detail we know about the quality of Chinese statistics. This article summarizes the methodological, structural, and institutional sources for flaws in the Chinese statistical system in general, and demonstrates the repercussions of these flaws on the measurement of industrial concentration. The author pledges for a sensitive use of Chinese statistics in economic analysis and makes a point for more detailed research into the Chinese statistical system and China’s information politics.