Heiwai TANG
Prof. Heiwai TANG
經濟學
Associate Dean (External Relations)
Victor and William Fung Professor in Economics (馮國經馮國綸基金教授 (經濟學))
Director, Asia Global Institute
Director, APEC Study Center
Associate Director, Hong Kong Institute of Economics and Business Strategy

3917 0029
3917 4388

MB 335/ KK 920

Academic & Professional Qualification
  • PhD: MIT
  • Bachelor: UCLA
Biography

Heiwai Tang is Victor and William Fung Professor in Economics, Director of the Asia Global Institute and HKU APEC Study Center, as well as the Associate Director Institute of China Economy and the Hong Kong Institute of Economics and Business Strategy at the University of Hong Kong (HKU). Prior to joining HKU, he was tenured Associate Professor of International Economics at the School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) of Johns Hopkins University. He is also affiliated with the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas (U.S.), the Center of Economic Studies and Ifo Institute (CESIfo, Germany), the Kiel Institute for the World Economy (Germany) and the Globalization and Economic Policy Center (U.K.) as a research fellow. He has been a consultant to the World Bank, the International Finance Corporation, the United Nations, and the Asian Development Bank; and held visiting positions at the IMF, Stanford, MIT, Harvard. He is currently an associate editor of the Journal of International Economics, the Journal of Comparative Economics and the China Economic Review. Since 2021, he has served on a number of public bodies, including the Currency Board Sub-Committee of the HKMA’s Exchange Fund Advisory Committee and the Minimum Wage Commission in Hong Kong.

Heiwai holds a Ph.D. in economics from MIT and a Bachelor of Science in mathematics from UCLA. His research interests span a wide range of theoretical and empirical topics in international trade, with a specific focus on production networks, global value chains, and China. His research has been published in leading journals in economics, including American Economic Review and Journal of International Economics. His research and opinions have been covered by BBC, Financial Times, New York Times, Al Jazeera, Foreign Policy, South China Morning Post, and various think tanks such as the Brookings Institution and the Peterson Institute for International Economics.

Teaching

Columbia-LBS-HKU EMBA: The New World Order

HKU-PKU DBA: Frontiers in Economics Research

Fudan-HKU IMBA: The New World Order

HKU: Undergraduate Common Core – China in the Global Economy; MBA – Global Economy; Master of Economics – Economic Policy

Research Interest

International Trade, Global Value Chains, Development Economics

Selected Publications
  • “Trade Networks and Firm Value: Evidence from the US-China Trade War,” Journal of International Economics, forthcoming. (with Yi Huang, Chen Lin, and Sibo Liu)
  • “Currency Carry Trade by Trucks: The Curious Case of China’s Massive Imports from Itself”, Review of Finance, 27(2), March 2023, pp. 469–493. (with Xuepeng Liu, Zhi Wang, and Shang-Jin Wei)
  • “Do Multinationals Transfer Culture? Evidence on Female Employment in China”, Journal of International Economics, 133, Nov 2021, 103518. (with Yifan Zhang)
  • “Domestic Segment of Global Value Chains in China under State Capitalism”, Journal of Comparative Economics, 48(4), Dec 2020, pp. 797-821. (with Fei Wang and Zhi Wang)
  • “Why is China Investing in Africa? Evidence from the Firm Level”, World Bank Economic Review, 32(3), Oct 2018, pp. 610-632. (with Wenjie Chen and David Dollar)
  • “Are Foreign Firms Favored in China? Firm-level Evidence on the Collection of Value-Added Tax”, Journal of International Business Policy, 1(2), Inaugural Issue, Jun 2018, pp. 71-91. (with Yasheng Huang)
  • “Domestic Value Added in Exports: Theory and Firm Evidence from China”, American Economic Review, 106(6), Jun 2016, pp. 1402-1436. (with Hiau Looi Kee)
  • “Learning to Export from Neighbors”, Journal of International Economics, 94(1), Sep 2014, pp. 67-84. (with Ana Fernandes)
  • “Factor Intensity, Product Switching, and Productivity: Evidence from Chinese Exporters”, Journal of International Economics, 92(2), Mar 2014, pp. 349-362. (with Yue Ma and Yifan Zhang)
  • “International Politics and Import Diversification”, Journal of Law and Economics, 56(4), Nov 2013, pp. 1091-1121. (with Sergey Mityakov and Kevin Tsui)
  • “Determinants of Vertical Integration in Export Processing: Theory and Evidence from China”, Journal of Development Economics, 99(2), Nov 2012, pp. 396-414. (with Ana Fernandes)
  • “Labor Market Institutions, Firm-specific Skills, and Trade Patterns”, Journal of International Economics, 87(2), Jul 2012, pp. 337-351.
Awards and Honours
  • APEC Study Center Financial Support from the HKSAR Government, PI, HKD 2,500,000, 2022-2027
  • HKU Knowledge Exchange Grant, PI, HKD 497,000, 2023
  • Hong Kong RGC Grant, Co-PI, HKD 418,975, 2022-2024
  • Committee of 100 Next Generation Leader, 2018
  • Richard Paul Richman Center for Business, Law, and Public Policy Grant, Columbia University, Co-PI, USD 14,500.
  • Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) of Canada Insight Grant, Co-Investigator, CAD 78,736
  • Student-Elected Best Professor of the Master of International Econ and Finance Program, JHU SAIS, 2016-2017
  • Alcoa Foundation Grant, Co-PI, USD 500,000, 2016-2019
  • Hong Kong RGC Grant, Co-PI, HKD 364,378, 2017-2019
  • Outstanding Referee Journal of International Economics, 2014-2017.
  • Hong Kong RGC Grant, Co-PI, HKD 336,462, 2011-2013
  • The Nuffield Foundation Social Science Grant, SGS/36581, Co-PI, £12,000, 2009-2011
  • MIT Presidential Fellowship, 2002-2003
Service to the University/Community
  • Securities and Futures Appeals Tribunal of the HKSAR government, member, 2023 –
  • Panel of Arbitrators of the Labour Relations Ordinance, HKSAR, member, 2023 –
  • Insurance Authority in Hong Kong SAR, Member of the Industry Advisory Committee, 2022 –
  • Telecommunications Appeal Board of the HKSAR Government, Member, 2022 –
  • Currency Board Sub-Committee of the HKMA Exchange Fund Advisory Committee, Member, 2021-
  • Minimum Wage Commission in Hong Kong SAR, Member, 2021 –
  • Pacific Economic Review, Managing Editor, 2022 –
  • Journal of International Economics, Associate Editor, 2019 – 2022
  • China Economic Review, Associate Editor, 2018 –
  • Journal of Comparative Economics, Associate Editor, 2017 – 2023
  • China Economics Summer Institute, Academic Committee Member, 2017 –
  • International Finance Corporation (IFC), Consultant, 2017 –
  • United Nations Industrial Development Organization, Consultant, 2016 – 2017
  • Asian Development Bank, Consultant, 2016 – 2017
  • IMF, Research Department, Visiting Scholar, 2015 – 2016
  • World Bank, Consultant, 2013 – 2017
Recent Publications
【環球經濟】港大經管學院辦創立方活動 聯合國代表探討環球經濟挑戰機遇

港大經管學院今日(7日)舉辦「香港大學創立方Impact系列」活動,聯合國貿易和發展會議全球化及發展戰略分會主任理查德·科祖爾-懷特(Richard Kozul-Wright)獲邀擔任專題演講嘉賓,深入剖析聯合國《2023貿易和發展報告》,並探討環球經濟局勢發展挑戰和機遇。

出口連跌17個月 進出口貿易如何增值?

港大經管學院副院長(對外事務)鄧希煒表示︰「中國現在做了很多年數字經濟,特別是在平台經濟方面做得很出色,令到很多海外的買家可以直接在中國入口。我們作為數字經濟的中心可以扮演甚麼角色,其實是值得我們去探討的。」

港需調整經濟賽道 重新定位7大優勢

疫情過後,香港經濟在開關初期的報復式消費推動下V形反彈,但隨後便失去了增長動力,商界叫苦連天,市民只要到街上逛一逛,也能感受到零售業的水深火熱。

港需調整經濟賽道 重新定位7大優勢

疫情過後,香港經濟在開關初期的報復式消費推動下V形反彈,但隨後便失去了增長動力,商界叫苦連天,市民只要到街上逛一逛,也能感受到零售業的水深火熱。

What China’s Economic Woes May Mean for the U.S.

“I remain optimistic that the government is still very agile and should be responsive to a potential crisis,” Dr. Tang said. “They know what to do. It’s just a matter of time before they come to some kind of consensus to do something.”

平台經濟:各地經濟轉型的重要一環

從勞工角度看,平台經濟打破了傳統的僱傭關係。平台企業創造了各種靈活的工作方式,包括常見的社交平台內容創作者、Uber司機、外賣送遞員等等。此類常被稱為「零工」(gig work)的工種,一方面令人感嘆技術為就業帶來方便,但另一方面也常令人擔憂一個大企業壟斷市場,欺壓平台從業員的可能性。

平台經濟:各地經濟轉型的重要一環

從勞工角度看,平台經濟打破了傳統的僱傭關係。平台企業創造了各種靈活的工作方式,包括常見的社交平台內容創作者、Uber司機、外賣送遞員等等。此類常被稱為「零工」(gig work)的工種,一方面令人感嘆技術為就業帶來方便,但另一方面也常令人擔憂一個大企業壟斷市場,欺壓平台從業員的可能性。

知識產權商業化有利經濟高質量發展

《十四五規劃綱要》支持香港特區發展八大中心,其中之一是區域知識產權貿易中心。所謂知識產權貿易,到底是指各國企業在港衍生的知識產權及申請的專利,還是連境外的專利也包括在內?香港又可憑哪些優勢和潛力而成為知識產權貿易中心呢?

香港需要加速貿易現代化

從1990年代以來,很多國家已經嘗試以數碼化方式實現貿易現代化,但受惠於歷時20多年相對平穩的地緣政治環境及高度全球化,貿易數碼化並未得到足夠關注。在新冠疫情期間,全球供應鏈處處受到衝擊,船運、港口與海關操作相繼出現混亂情況。這些深刻經歷過後,各國政府意識到數碼科技可提供靈活及有效的方法,以應對貿易鏈斷裂的問題,因而都在加速推動貿易數碼化。

香港需要加速貿易現代化

從1990年代以來,很多國家已經嘗試以數碼化方式實現貿易現代化,但受惠於歷時20多年相對平穩的地緣政治環境及高度全球化,貿易數碼化並未得到足夠關注。在新冠疫情期間,全球供應鏈處處受到衝擊,船運、港口與海關操作相繼出現混亂情況。這些深刻經歷過後,各國政府意識到數碼科技可提供靈活及有效的方法,以應對貿易鏈斷裂的問題,因而都在加速推動貿易數碼化。