Xiaokai Yang
Encyclopedia
Xiaokai Yang was a Chinese-Australian economist
. He was one of the world's preeminent theorists in economic analysis, and an influential campaigner for democracy
in China.
, the son of Chinese Communist Party officials. His parents' status meant that he initially had a privileged life, receiving an excellent education by Chinese standards at the time.
However, his life changed dramatically in the early days of the Cultural Revolution
. Yang was a Red Guard
in Hunan
who was part of the Rebel faction Shengwulian. On behalf of the group, Xiaokai wrote probably the most influential article of the Cultural Revolution. He published a political treatise entitled "Whither China?", which was highly critical of Mao Zedong
's communist regime. Xiaokai contended that the essential conflict in China was between the new "red capitalist class", consisting of CCP cadres and their families, and the masses of the Chinese people. This was a shocking and daring deviation from the traditional Maoist view that conflict in China was essentially between Mao and his enemies. Xiaokai's essay was read by hundreds of thousands of Chinese during the Cultural Revolution. It could not be read openly, and was passed secretly between trusted friends, provoking lively debate across China. So great was his influence that members of the 1980s Democracy Movement in China labelled Xiaokai "the forerunner of the Thinking Generation". Mao personally denounced Xiaokai as a counter-revolutionary in 1969. Xiaokai was arrested and sent to prison for 10 years. At one point, Xiaokai learned that he was scheduled to be executed, though this never eventuated. Distraught by her son's treatment, Xiaokai's mother, Chen Su, committed suicide.
While in prison, Xiaokai managed to learn English
and calculus
. He learnt from and deeply admired a fellow prisoner who happened to be a mathematics professor and a devout Christian. In 2002, Xiaokai himself converted to the Anglican Church.
When he was released, Xiguang Yang (his original name from birth) changed his name to Xiaokai Yang (his childhood nickname), so that he could find a job. He gained admission to Hunan University
and published two highly influential books on economics. He then studied at Princeton University
, where he obtained a PhD in economics.
. In 1988, he moved to Australia
and took up a position as lecturer at Monash University
. He quickly gained widespread international attention, publishing numerous English-language articles and books. He was made senior lecturer in 1989, reader in 1993, and was awarded a personal Chair in Economics in 2000. In 1993, he was elected to the Australian Academy of Social Sciences. He was twice nominated for the Nobel Prize
in Economics (2002 and 2003).
He collaborated with some of the world's leading economists, including Yew-Kwang Ng
and Jeffrey Sachs
, the latter of whom stated that "Yang is one of the world’s most penetrating and exacting economic theorists, and one of the most creative minds in the economics profession". In 2002, Nobel Prize Winner Professor James M. Buchanan
said that: "In my view, the most important and exciting research in economics in the world is done at Monash, and it is done by Xiaokai Yang."
Xiaokai was a neoclassical economist. He is praised by his colleagues for having cleared up many unhelpful digressions in economic writing, and returning the discipline to the fundamental insights of Adam Smith
. His work is founded on the assumption that all persons (potential traders) are equal in all relevant respects. He moved from this to develop an extensive explanatory apparatus. His work encompasses equilibria that involve more behavioral adjustments than those defined in orthodox neoclassical models of general equilibrium. According to Buchanan, this approach has major implications for a wide range of issues in economics, such as globalisation, outsourcing
, as well as interoccupational and locational mobility.
Although he was a prolific author in economics, Xiaokai simultaneously wrote a large body of influential political essays in Chinese, including a best-selling book. He championed democracy, decentralisation of Chinese political power, and privatisation of the Chinese economy. When he died, Nanfang Zhoumo (Southern Weekend), the most influential reformist magazine in China, published a long obituary, praising Xiaokai, and discussing the pervasive impact of his writings.
Professor Xiaokai Yang was diagnosed with lung cancer
in September, 2001 and died on July 7, 2004 after a long battle with it, which doctors had predicted would kill him many years before he eventually died. He is survived by his wife and three children. His eventful life is described in his memoir, Captive Spirits: Prisoners of the Cultural Revolution.
Economist
An economist is a professional in the social science discipline of economics. The individual may also study, develop, and apply theories and concepts from economics and write about economic policy...
. He was one of the world's preeminent theorists in economic analysis, and an influential campaigner for democracy
Democracy
Democracy is generally defined as a form of government in which all adult citizens have an equal say in the decisions that affect their lives. Ideally, this includes equal participation in the proposal, development and passage of legislation into law...
in China.
Early life
Xiaokai was born in ChinaChina
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
, the son of Chinese Communist Party officials. His parents' status meant that he initially had a privileged life, receiving an excellent education by Chinese standards at the time.
However, his life changed dramatically in the early days of the Cultural Revolution
Cultural Revolution
The Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution, commonly known as the Cultural Revolution , was a socio-political movement that took place in the People's Republic of China from 1966 through 1976...
. Yang was a Red Guard
Red Guards (China)
Red Guards were a mass movement of civilians, mostly students and other young people in the People's Republic of China , who were mobilized by Mao Zedong in 1966 and 1967, during the Cultural Revolution.-Origins:...
in Hunan
Hunan
' is a province of South-Central China, located to the south of the middle reaches of the Yangtze River and south of Lake Dongting...
who was part of the Rebel faction Shengwulian. On behalf of the group, Xiaokai wrote probably the most influential article of the Cultural Revolution. He published a political treatise entitled "Whither China?", which was highly critical of Mao Zedong
Mao Zedong
Mao Zedong, also transliterated as Mao Tse-tung , and commonly referred to as Chairman Mao , was a Chinese Communist revolutionary, guerrilla warfare strategist, Marxist political philosopher, and leader of the Chinese Revolution...
's communist regime. Xiaokai contended that the essential conflict in China was between the new "red capitalist class", consisting of CCP cadres and their families, and the masses of the Chinese people. This was a shocking and daring deviation from the traditional Maoist view that conflict in China was essentially between Mao and his enemies. Xiaokai's essay was read by hundreds of thousands of Chinese during the Cultural Revolution. It could not be read openly, and was passed secretly between trusted friends, provoking lively debate across China. So great was his influence that members of the 1980s Democracy Movement in China labelled Xiaokai "the forerunner of the Thinking Generation". Mao personally denounced Xiaokai as a counter-revolutionary in 1969. Xiaokai was arrested and sent to prison for 10 years. At one point, Xiaokai learned that he was scheduled to be executed, though this never eventuated. Distraught by her son's treatment, Xiaokai's mother, Chen Su, committed suicide.
While in prison, Xiaokai managed to learn English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
and calculus
Calculus
Calculus is a branch of mathematics focused on limits, functions, derivatives, integrals, and infinite series. This subject constitutes a major part of modern mathematics education. It has two major branches, differential calculus and integral calculus, which are related by the fundamental theorem...
. He learnt from and deeply admired a fellow prisoner who happened to be a mathematics professor and a devout Christian. In 2002, Xiaokai himself converted to the Anglican Church.
When he was released, Xiguang Yang (his original name from birth) changed his name to Xiaokai Yang (his childhood nickname), so that he could find a job. He gained admission to Hunan University
Hunan University
Hunan University , located in Changsha, Hunan province, is one of the oldest and most important national universities in China.- History :Hunan University traces its history back to the Yuelu Shuyuan founded in the Song Dynasty, originally in 976, over 1000 years ago...
and published two highly influential books on economics. He then studied at Princeton University
Princeton University
Princeton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. The school is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and is one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution....
, where he obtained a PhD in economics.
Professional career
Following his study at Princeton, Xiaokai accepted a postdoctoral fellowship at Yale UniversityYale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
. In 1988, he moved to Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
and took up a position as lecturer at Monash University
Monash University
Monash University is a public university based in Melbourne, Victoria. It was founded in 1958 and is the second oldest university in the state. Monash is a member of Australia's Group of Eight and the ASAIHL....
. He quickly gained widespread international attention, publishing numerous English-language articles and books. He was made senior lecturer in 1989, reader in 1993, and was awarded a personal Chair in Economics in 2000. In 1993, he was elected to the Australian Academy of Social Sciences. He was twice nominated for the Nobel Prize
Nobel Prize
The Nobel Prizes are annual international awards bestowed by Scandinavian committees in recognition of cultural and scientific advances. The will of the Swedish chemist Alfred Nobel, the inventor of dynamite, established the prizes in 1895...
in Economics (2002 and 2003).
He collaborated with some of the world's leading economists, including Yew-Kwang Ng
Yew-Kwang Ng
Yew-Kwang Ng is an economist at Monash University. He graduated with a Bachelor of Commerce from Nanyang University in 1966 and later a Ph.D. from Sydney University in 1971....
and Jeffrey Sachs
Jeffrey Sachs
Jeffrey David Sachs is an American economist and Director of The Earth Institute at Columbia University. One of the youngest economics professors in the history of Harvard University, Sachs became known for his role as an adviser to Eastern European and developing country governments in the...
, the latter of whom stated that "Yang is one of the world’s most penetrating and exacting economic theorists, and one of the most creative minds in the economics profession". In 2002, Nobel Prize Winner Professor James M. Buchanan
James M. Buchanan
James McGill Buchanan, Jr. is an American economist known for his work on public choice theory, for which he received the 1986 Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences. Buchanan's work initiated research on how politicians' self-interest and non-economic forces affect government economic policy...
said that: "In my view, the most important and exciting research in economics in the world is done at Monash, and it is done by Xiaokai Yang."
Xiaokai was a neoclassical economist. He is praised by his colleagues for having cleared up many unhelpful digressions in economic writing, and returning the discipline to the fundamental insights of Adam Smith
Adam Smith
Adam Smith was a Scottish social philosopher and a pioneer of political economy. One of the key figures of the Scottish Enlightenment, Smith is the author of The Theory of Moral Sentiments and An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations...
. His work is founded on the assumption that all persons (potential traders) are equal in all relevant respects. He moved from this to develop an extensive explanatory apparatus. His work encompasses equilibria that involve more behavioral adjustments than those defined in orthodox neoclassical models of general equilibrium. According to Buchanan, this approach has major implications for a wide range of issues in economics, such as globalisation, outsourcing
Outsourcing
Outsourcing is the process of contracting a business function to someone else.-Overview:The term outsourcing is used inconsistently but usually involves the contracting out of a business function - commonly one previously performed in-house - to an external provider...
, as well as interoccupational and locational mobility.
Although he was a prolific author in economics, Xiaokai simultaneously wrote a large body of influential political essays in Chinese, including a best-selling book. He championed democracy, decentralisation of Chinese political power, and privatisation of the Chinese economy. When he died, Nanfang Zhoumo (Southern Weekend), the most influential reformist magazine in China, published a long obituary, praising Xiaokai, and discussing the pervasive impact of his writings.
Professor Xiaokai Yang was diagnosed with lung cancer
Lung cancer
Lung cancer is a disease characterized by uncontrolled cell growth in tissues of the lung. If left untreated, this growth can spread beyond the lung in a process called metastasis into nearby tissue and, eventually, into other parts of the body. Most cancers that start in lung, known as primary...
in September, 2001 and died on July 7, 2004 after a long battle with it, which doctors had predicted would kill him many years before he eventually died. He is survived by his wife and three children. His eventful life is described in his memoir, Captive Spirits: Prisoners of the Cultural Revolution.
Further reading
- Klaus Mehnhert, 1969 Peking and the New Left at Home and Abroad, Berkeley: Center for Chinese Studies. (This book focuses almost entirely on Xiaokai's writings of the Cultural Revolution.)
- Xiaokai Yang and Susan McFadden, 1997. Captive Spirits: Prisoners of the Cultural Revolution, Oxford University Press. (Xiaokai Yang's memoirs) Review fragment.
- Xiaokai Yang and Jeff Borland, 1991. "A Microeconomic Mechanism for Economic Growth," Journal of Political Economy, 99(3), pp. 460-482.
- Xiaokai Yang and Yew-Kwang NgYew-Kwang NgYew-Kwang Ng is an economist at Monash University. He graduated with a Bachelor of Commerce from Nanyang University in 1966 and later a Ph.D. from Sydney University in 1971....
, 1993. Specialization and Economic Organization: A New Classical Microeconomic Framework, North Holland. - Xiaokai Yang, 1994. "Endogenous vs. Exogenous Comparative Advantage and Economies of Specialization vs. Economies of Scale," Journal of Economics, 60(1), pp. 29-54.
- Xiaokai Yang, 2001. Economics: New Classical versus Neoclassical Frameworks, New York: Blackwell, Description and chapter -preview links. (A comprehensive treatise of Xiaokai Yang's economic thought.)
- Xiaokai Yang et al., ed., 2005, An Inframarginal Approach to Trade Theory, v. 1, World Scientific. Description and scrollable contents link. Papers include 14 (co-)authored by Yang.