| This dissertation consists of three analyses that assess Chinese economy from different perspectives. The data is obtained from various issues of statistical yearbooks from the national and provincial bureaus of statistics, as well as banks' financial statements. Chapter 1 applies a semiparametric smooth coefficient model to estimate and explain sectoral productivity in each province and to analyze the impact of province-specific environmental variables. Chapter 2 uses the Shephard distance function and the stochastic frontier analysis technique to measure energy efficiency at the provincial level in the manufacturing sector, and to identify environmental factors that can explain the divergence in energy efficiency. Chapter 3 applies the method of stochastic input distance function to estimates the ceteris-paribus relationship between banking efficiency and nonperforming loan ratios, and to assess its marginal effects on banking efficiency. Some of the major results are: (1) higher education, investment in technology, and foreign direct investment are the major driving factors of productivity growth in the primary sector, the secondary sector, and the tertiary sector, respectively; (2) Northwest has the highest regional energy efficiency, and higher education has the highest marginal contribution to energy efficiency; and (3) partially private banks have an average efficiency of 90% while partially private banks have an average efficiency of 87% during 2006--2014, but the difference in efficiency between the two groups is getting smaller. |
