Pleasant thinking

Author: Zhang Jun
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-05-01
Features: This is a collection of essays by Zhang Jun, a professor of economics at Fudan University. It includes nearly 70 articles published in various media, covering topics such as economic growth, macroeconomics, corporate reform, and institutional reform, as well as some book reviews and prefaces. The author, with a scientific and realistic approach, conducts in-depth research on economic issues during China's reform and opening-up, analyzing the problems and challenges of China's economic reform from a helicopter perspective with a three-dimensional view. He provides insightful explanations for relevant economic phenomena and realities, explores the underlying causes, and includes light-hearted and humorous analyses and metaphors. The idea of publishing this collection of essays in "Zhongxin" came to me after meeting Ms. Xiao Meng at a conference in Tokyo in 2003. Although I have published a large number of "column articles" or written many essays and short commentaries in print media over the past two or three years, editing and publishing a collection of essays is not as easy as it seems. First, it requires careful selection; second, I need the time to make these selections; and third, I need to find the original electronic versions of the published articles after selecting them. This is not only helpful for the publisher's editing, processing, and publication but also more important, because most articles were edited or even had their titles changed by bold editors upon their initial publication. Fortunately, the long holiday during National Day helped me find some time to conduct a comprehensive search and organize the work. In the end, more than 60 articles were selected from the various essays and short commentaries I published over the past two years and included in this book. These 60-plus articles mainly cover topics such as China's economic growth, macroeconomic balance, corporate reform, financial development, and personal reflections or book reviews. Additionally, to give readers an account of my recent academic work, I have included a long preface that I prepared for my new book, Industrial Reform and Economic Growth in China: Problems and Explanations, at the end of this book. Accompanying this preface is a rather lengthy "essay," which is my article, Reading Zhang Wu Chang. This article was initially written as a preface for a book about Zhang Wu Chang, but due to various reasons, the book was never published. As a result, this preface was never formally published. I remember agreeing to have The 21st Century Business Herald serialize this article, but after it was serialized for about 30%, "China-Review.Com" published the full text online. Later, The 21st Century Business Herald had to stop serialization after careful consideration. Therefore, this article has not been formally published in any domestic print media, although Shandong's Wealth Times once compiled a special section with illustrations based on this article, indirectly "publishing" the lengthy 20,000-character essay. I have published three collections of essays: Economics, Society, and Culture (Fudan University Press, Shanghai, 1998 edition), Getting Closer to Economics (Sanlian Bookstore, Beijing, 2001 edition), and Economics Beyond the Books (Shanghai Sanlian Bookstore, Shanghai, 2002 edition). I began publishing what later came to be known as "essays" when The Economics News was founded. At that time, I wasn't very busy, and most of my time was spent reading, and even my research was reading-oriented. Later, as the content and methods of my research changed, I began to focus more on China's economic reform and development and engaged in more empirical research, expanding my research horizons and narrowing my field of study. Even so, over the past decade, while conducting economic research, I have noted my broad thinking about various aspects of China's economic development. Although my research in recent years has been more concentrated on issues such as the investment-growth relationship, financial development-growth, and the relationship between institutions, productivity, and industrial organization, and I have written many essays based on this research, I have also paid close attention to many other important issues facing China's economy, including macroeconomic balance, balance of payments, exchange rates, as well as more humanistic topics like the growth of entrepreneurs and entrepreneurial spirit. I enjoy discovering and reflecting on these issues during leisure, travel, and reading books and newspapers, and I often write them down after completing my main work or before going to sleep. Many of you may already know that my other "hobby" is to keep a daily record of my academic activities. Since 1998, I have done so every day, and the content of these records has only grown richer year by year. Interestingly, after I retire in 20 years, this record will be a thick book that side-by-side documents the trajectory of China's economic development and transformation. Over the past two years, I have been invited to serve as a columnist for The Economic Observer, The Shanghai Securities News, and The Internet Weekly, while also writing occasional short commentaries for other newspapers and magazines. Although I have the responsibility of writing column articles, most of these articles are still written out of curiosity and a sense of responsibility. The process of writing these articles is enjoyable, and so is the thinking behind them. Often, I write down my thoughts during travels or complete the final word in the dead of night. I am grateful that I have always considered thinking a joyful pursuit. If thinking and writing are a form of enjoyment, then they are a pleasure. This explains why I have been able to persist in this "enjoyable work" for so many years. To the editing and publication of this book, I would like to thank Ms. Xiao Meng of Zhongxin Publishing House and Comparative Studies for their enthusiastic support. I would also like to thank Ms. Wang Ying of Zhongxin Publishing House for her editorial and coordination contributions to the publication of this book. Finally, I would like to thank my parents and my family for their support, especially my wife and son for their encouragement and selfless love, which have given me the spiritual motivation to persevere in my long-term efforts.