We study how environmentally-inclined politicians (EIPs), i.e., politicians with prior environment-related working experience, affect local environmental performance in China. Firms located in cities with EIPs have lower levels of sulfur dioxide (SO2) emissions. The effect is attenuated when the...

The ‘China shock’ operated in part through the housing market, which is one reason why its impact was so large on U.S. labor market. We add housing to a multi-region monopolistic competition model, with individuals choosing whether and where to work. Controlling for housing reduces the...

China has witnessed rapid increases in the skill premium over the last few decades. In this paper, we study the short-run effect of capital goods imports on skill premium in China. The surge in capital goods imports, which embody advanced technology, can explain the rising demand for skills in...