Pension reform in China: What can China Learn from the Danish Approach to Demographic Change?

This study addresses two questions: first regarding China’s ability to respond to its rapidly ageing population, and second what China can learn from Denmark in their approach to this challenge. Denmark, along with the other Scandinavian countries, is generally considered well adapted to demographic change. This paper aims to examine if the experiences of Denmark can add insights that are useful for the development of a sustainable and financially responsible approach to population ageing in China. Reviewing the respective demographic challenges of both China and Denmark, together with the provisions of old-age security and care, this paper presents an examination of their adaptability to demographic change. Finally, the paper outlines three factors from which China arguably could learn from the Danish approach to demographic change. It is evident from studying the Danish approach to demographic changes that pensions are not the sole focus; stimulating labour force participation, creating initiatives to postpone retirement and work longer and enforcing pro-natal polices are all part of the solution. Due to this, this paper argues that the main lesson to be learned from Denmark is that there is a need for a holistic approach to demographic change; reforming the pension system is only one part. Keywords: China, Denmark, universalism, demographic change, pensions, old-age dependenc

The Hukou Divide - A Passé Construct?

Previous research on the hukou divide has primarily focused on the tangible inequalities between urban and rural residents. In this paper, the reigning perception of the hukou divide is discussed from a social citizenship perspective, by relating recent social policy developments in China to the works of amongst others T.H. Marshall and W. van Oorschot. By examining the current state of the Chinese hukou system through multiple data sources and exploring recent policy developments, this paper shows that the hukou divide, despite having become irrelevant in some respects, continues to be an important determinant of social citizenship. The hukou system has created widespread institutional diversity of social security and sustained the stratification of social citizenship. Through the persistent depiction of rural people as lesser citizens, the hukou system consolidates rural people’s self-image as a distinct undeserving group

The Evolution of Conventions under Incomplete Information

We formulate an evolutionary learning process in the spirit of Young (1993) for games of incomplete information. The process involves trembles. For many games, if the amount of trembling is small, play will be in accordance with the games' (semi-strict) Bayesian equilibria most of the time. This supports the notion of Bayesian equilibrium. Further, often play will most of the time be in accordance with exactly one Bayesian equilibrium. This gives a selection among the Bayesian equilibria. For two specific games of economic interest we characterize this selection. The first is an extension to incomplete information of the prototype strategic conflict known as Chicken. The second is an incomplete information bilateral monopoly, which is also an extension to incomplete information of Nash's demand game, or a simple version of the so-called sealed bid double auction. For both games selection by evolutionary learning is in favor of Bayesian equilibria where some types of players fail to coordinate, such that the outcome is inefficient.

The evolution of conventions under incomplete information

We formulate an evolutionary learning process in the spirit of Young (1993a) for games of incomplete information. The process involves trembles. For many games, if the amount of trembling is small, play will be in accordance with the games' (semi- strict) Bayesian equilibria most of the time. This supports the notion of Bayesian equilibrium. Further, often play will most of the time be in accordance with exactly one Bayesian equilibrium. This gives a selection among the Bayesian equilibria. For two specific games of economic interest we characterize this selection. The first is an extension to incomplete information of the prototype strategic conflict known as Chicken. The second is an incomplete information bilateral monopoly, which is also an extension to incomplete information of Nash's demand game, or a simple version of the so-called sealed bid double auction. For both games selection by evolutionary learning is in favor of Bayesian equilibria where some types of players fail to coordinate, such that the outcome is inefficient.Games of incomplete information, Bayesian equilibrium, evolution, learning, conventions

Bohr effect and temperature sensitivity of hemoglobins from highland and lowland deer mice

An important means of physiological adaptation to environmental hypoxia is an increased oxygen (O2) affinity of the hemoglobin (Hb) that can help secure high O2 saturation of arterial blood. However, the trade-off associated with a high Hb-O2 affinity is that it can compromise O2 unloading in the systemic capillaries. High-altitude deer mice (Peromyscus maniculatus) have evolved an increased Hb-O2 affinity relative to lowland conspecifics, but it is not known whether they have also evolved compensatory mechanisms to facilitate O2 unloading to respiring tissues. Here we investigate the effects of pH (Bohr effect) and temperature on the O2-affinity of high- and low-altitude deer mouse Hb variants, as these properties can potentially facilitate O2 unloading to metabolizing tissues. Our experiments revealed that Bohr factors for the high- and low-altitude Hb variants are very similar in spite of the differences in O2-affinity. The Bohr factors of deer mouse Hbs are also comparable to those of other mammalian Hbs. In contrast, the high- and low-altitude variants of deer mouse Hb exhibited similarly low temperature sensitivities that were independent of red blood cell anionic cofactors, suggesting an appreciable endothermic allosteric transition upon oxygenation. In conclusion, high-altitude deer mice have evolved an adaptive increase in Hb-O2 affinity, but this is not associated with compensatory changes in sensitivity to changes in pH or temperature. Instead, it appears that the elevated Hb-O2 affinity in high-altitude deer mice is compensated by an associated increase in the tissue diffusion capacity of O2 (via increased muscle capillarization), which promotes O2 unloading