On Latin America’s Structural Reforms
Jiang Shixue Journal of Latin American Studies Oct. 2017
Structural reforms are expected to tackle supply－side problems. The first generation of structural reforms in Latin America，which began in the“lost decade”of the 1980s，generated both positive and negative results. Therefore，starting from the 1990s，the reforms started to shift from the first generation to the second generation. The tentative assessment of the second generation of structural reforms are encouraging in following aspects: more efforts have been made to promote social development; the role of the state in many areas has been attached greater emphasis; macroeconomic situation has become more stable and financial regulation has been strengthened; some enterprises have witnessed rising competitiveness; and the region has constructed a multilateral pattern for its external relations with the world. To gain a better understanding of its structural reforms，further researches must be undertaken on the following issues: how to judge the long－term results of the reforms; how to understand China’s contributions to Latin America’s economy; how to assess the policies of the left－wing governments; how to make good use of the region’s comparative advantage and upgrade its economic structures on the other; and how to further improve the relationship between the government and the market.
结构性改革是为消除供给侧领域中各种问题的改革。拉美的第一代结构性改革始于20世纪80年代,改革取得了积极成效,但也产生了多方面的问题。因此,20世纪90年代末,拉美的第一代结构性改革开始向第二代结构性改革过渡。与第一代改革相比,第二代改革更具有战略性、长期性和艰巨性。目前要对第二代改革作出全面而深刻的评价并非易事,但可初步得出如下几个结论:社会发展领域的成就开始显现,政府与市场的关系渐趋正常,宏观经济形势日益稳定,金融监管机制不断完善,企业的国际竞争力稳步上升,基础设施的"瓶颈"现象有所缓和,对外经济关系的多元化格局基本形成。在分析拉美的两代结构性改革时,有必要对以下问题进行更为深入的研究:如何判断拉美结构性改革的成效,如何评估"中国因素"对拉美结构性改革作出的贡献,如何看待左翼政府在结构性改革中的作用,如何处理发挥比较优势与调整产业结构的关系,如何处理政府与市场的关系。
拉丁美洲; 经济; 结构性改革; 市场机制; 比较优势私有化; 社会政策;
D773;F173
