The countries of Central and Eastern Europe have been through a profound transition process for more than a decade now. The financial sectors and markets in the region have been subject to major structural reforms including privatization, liberalization and the acquisition by foreign banks of controlling interests in local financial institutions.
This important new book includes papers that chart this process. Topics discussed include the implications of future EU membership, and the strategies pursued by the World Bank and International Monetary Fund.

Financial crises have dogged the international monetary system over recent years. They have impoverished millions of people around the world, especially within developing countries. And they have called into question the very process of globalisation. Yet there remains no intellectual consensus on how best to avert such crises - much less resolve them. Policymakers stand at a crossroads. This volume summarises and evaluates these issues, drawing on contributions by prominent international experts in the field. It considers whether the IMF may have actually fanned the flames of future crises through its lending decisions. It assesses the contribution made by private creditors in resolving past crises - and asks what mechanisms might best be used to involve private creditors in the future. It also assesses the merits of two recent competing blueprints for architectural reform - the so-called contractual and statutory approaches to crisis resolution. These issues will shape the debate on the future of the international monetary system over the next decade and, probably, beyond. For although crises may always be with us, better public policy can surely help mitigate their future cost and incidence. With an impressive array of internationally based contributors, this book will deserve a place on the bookshelves of economists and policy-makers in both the official and private sectors.

This timely book provides an innovative examination of financial integration in the European Union - an issue that has become of paramount importance in view of the commencement of European Economic and Monetary Union. The author begins by assessing three different methods of financial integration in the European Union: interest parity conditions, savings-investment correlations and consumption correlations. He goes on to examine the fundamental determinants of financial integration and analyses the factors likely to influence the movement of capital within the European Union. The blend of empirical and theoretical research provides the reader with a comprehensive account of the progress made in integrating financial markets in the European Union. Integrating Financial Markets in the European Union will be essential reading for students and scholars of monetary economics, international finance and European integration. It will also prove useful to practitioners and policymakers working in central banking and government.

The whirlwind of financial globalization has descended upon emerging market economies and rapid change has brought both benefits and problems upon a dynamic group of nations.
This book examines the impact of ever increasing financial globalization on emerging market economies, both in the former communist countries of Eastern Europe and the developing world in general. This impressive volume covers themes and issues such as:
*global capital flows and financial liberalization
*global financial architecture
*financial and macroeconomic instability
Financial Globalization and the Emerging Market Economies will be of interest to students and academics in many areas including international economics, international finance and international political economy. It will also provide a useful source of information for those who work in the financial industry at large.

First published in 1999, this volume investigates the causes and consequences of globalization of international financial markets, including all types of private sector capital for 121 countries over the period 1980-1990. This includes portfolio investment, bank capital and FDI. Hak-Min Kim identifies pronounced patterns in short-term capital flows along with effective means of stimulating capital, including the provision of new financial instruments, advanced telecommunication networks, and improved country risk management. Kim suggests that collective international efforts from organizations are necessary to develop financial markets and improve global equity.

First published in 1998, this timely volume features 30 specialists in civil engineering, economics, computer science, architecture, technology and infrastructure and revisits - theoretically, methodologically and empirically - the conventional concepts and measures of accessibility, and connectivity / functioning of the networks, accessibility and dynamic location effects.

Originally published in 1979, Inside the City looks at The City of London as one of the important financial centres in the world. The book provides an interesting insight into the City as a major centre of international banking, asking key questions such as, how long the city can last as a major centre, how do its services compare with other centres, and what it can do to maintain its present position? The book examines how the great network of markets and institutions that make up the City operated when the book was written, providing key chapters on the Stock Exchange, institutional and private investors, the banking world, including foreign and merchant banks, the commodity and money markets, Euromarkets, Sterling and insurance. This book will be of interest to those studying or researching in the field of economics and finance.

Originally published in 1997, Issues in International Capital Mobility addresses a few of the ambiguities arising in empirical investigations of capital market openness. It does this by taking existing empirical approaches and adapting them to new markets and to new assets. It also examines the properties of one statistical method used to assess the extent of international capital mobility. This book will appeal to those working or studying in the field of economics and finance.

Originally published in 1987, The Flight of International Capital provides a fascinating comprehensive analysis of the history of international money movements. Taking 1931 as the turning point between old-style and modern methods of conducting monetary affairs, the book relates currency shifts and investment trends to political events. He deals with five eras in the history of international capital; the unsettled post-crash period 1931-1936; the flight of capital to the US before World War II; the dollar and Swiss Franc's time as the only 'hard monies' till the late fifties; the emergence of the mark-dollar axis before 1971; and finally, the behaviour of floating currencies.

The use of the US dollar for domestic monetary transactions outside the USA has gone on for many years now - Panama in 1904 being the earliest example. Since the advent of the Euro, the debate over the benefits of monetary integration has warmed up - particularly for NAFTA countries.
This collection, with contributions from experts such as Philip Arestis, Malcolm Sawyer and Stephanie Bell, examines the various problems and benefits involved in monetary integration and covers the causes of Euro instability, monetary policy in non-optimal currency unions, financial openness and dollarization and the question of dollarization in Canada.
This book addresses one of the burning policy issues in Europe and America: is monetary union worthwhile? The readable yet comprehensive style of this book will make it of interest not only to academics and students involved in European integration, financial liberalization and dollarization, but will also be an important book for policy-makers at intergovernmental level.

The book is motivated by the disruptions introduced by the financial crisis and the many attempts that have followed to propose new ideas and remedies. Assembling contributions by authors from a variety of backgrounds, this collection illustrates the potentials resulting from the marriage of financial economics, complexity theory and an out-of-equilibrium view of the economic world. Challenging the traditional hypotheses that lie behind financial market functioning, new evidence is provided about the hidden factors fuelling bubbles, the impact of agents' heterogeneity, the importance of endogeneity in the information transmission mechanism, the dynamics of herding, the sources of volatility, the portfolio optimization techniques, the financial innovation and the trend identification in a nonlinear time-series framework. Presenting the advances made in financial market analysis, and putting emphasis on nonlinear dynamics, this book suggests interdisciplinary methodologies for the study of well-known stylised facts and financial abnormalities. This book was originally published as a special issue of The European Journal of Finance.

The International Monetary Fund has been criticised from both the right and the left of the political spectrum with the right arguing that it is too interventionist and creates more problems than it solves and the left on occasion demanding that it be abolished altogether. What seems almost beyond question is that the IMF needs to be reformed.
Defining a future role for the IMF will always be a controversial issue, but vital to any considerations will be a measured assessment of how it has operated in the past. This excellent new book from an internationally respected expert on the IMF intends to do just that. Starting with an historical background tracing the evolution of the IMF, the book goes on to cover such themes as:
*The circumstances under which countries turn to the IMF
*The various aspects of IMF conditionality
*Institutional issues such as lending facilities and how the fund is resourced.
Bringing together an array of articles, this excellent new book will undoubtedly be required reading for anyone with a serious interest in development studies as well as being an eye-opening read for policy makers involved with the IMF.

Drug trafficking is the most visible part of the profits of organized crime, which have grown considerably since the end of the cold war. The mirror of history shows us the impact of the drug trade in the colonization of Asia. The post cold war geopolitical context reproduces elements of the past, with new opportunities for drug trafficking in the globalization process, as can be seen in the example of China, and the lasting impunity in terms of money laundering. With the growing role of offshore locations in the global financial system, criminal prosperity has even affected the economic stability of some countries. This book presents a new and heterodox interpretation of the post cold war financial crisis, by focusing on the unexplored dimension of illicit actors.
The Mexican crisis of 1994 and its 'tequila effect' is analyzed as a model of a 'cocaine effect' from the local laundering of profits from the sale of drugs in the US. The Japanese crisis of the 1990s is put in relation to the economic influence of the Yakuza on the real estate bubble, which had the effect of postponing necessary market adjustments. And the Thai crisis of 1997 is analyzed in the light of massive money laundering of institutional and criminal networks, whose undeclared profits represent about 10% of GDP.

World Financial Orders challenges the predominance of neo-liberalism as a mode of knowledge about contemporary world finance, and claims that it neglects the social and political bases as well as the malign consequences of change. He looks to the field of International Political Economy (IPE) to construct an alternative mode, one that critically restores society and politics. An 'historical' approach to IPE is advanced that accounts for modern world finance since the seventeenth century as a succession of structurally distinct hierarchical social orders.
This book will be of interest to those working in the field of IPE and to those scholars, researchers and students from across the social sciences who seek to challenge the common-sense, neo-liberal explanation of contemporary world finance.

eBook available with sample pages: 0203166833

Recent crises in emerging markets have raised doubts about the desirability of relaxing controls on capital mobility. George Fane, however, uses evidence from the crises in Asia and Latin America to reassert the traditional case that such controls are an excessively blunt instrument for achieving financial stability. This book argues that recent official proposals for reforming the 'international financial architecture' are also unlikely to reduce the frequency of currency and financial crises to an acceptable level. The author proposes an alternative plan to achieve greater financial stability: * banks should have to double the currently accepted percentage of capital to risk-weighted assets from 8 to 16 percent and the risk-weights for loans to emerging markets should also be raised substantially * the financial sectors in emerging markets should be fully opened to foreign competition * bankruptcy procedures in emerging markets should be greatly strengthened * central banks should adopt flexible exchange rates, backed by credible targets for inflation or monetary growth. If flexible exchange rates are not adopted, central banks should at least avoid the widespread practice of trying to sterilise the monetary effects of capital flows The author argues that the implementation of this plan will be a far more effective way of enhancing financial stability than controlling international capital flows, or trying to force private lenders to make new loans to countries that suffer crises. This book will be required reading for scholars and policymakers in the areas of international financial economics, financial regulation, development economics and Asian studies.

Civil Society and Global Finance brings together twenty activists, officials and researchers from the five continents to discuss this burning question of today's globalization debate. Providing rare, authoritative analyses by those who deal with the issues first hand, Civil Society and Global Finance is rich in insight and policy ideas for decision-makers, students and concerned citizens.

The last decade has seen a massive increase in international capital flows to emerging markets. This development has offered opportunities to those countries that have opened themselves up to overseas capital, but it has also created risks.
In this volume, a team of policymakers and academics from 14 different countries, as well as representatives of the international financial institutions primarily responsible for responding to the crises, examine the challenges and options facing policymakers today. The book includes both detailed analysis of individual economies from around the world and in-depth analysis of the broad systemic issues of why crises occur and how we can prevent them. By looking at economies from many different parts of the world, the book provides a broad and comprehensive look at the similarities and differences in recent financial crises.

In this book, a leading observer of the international financial system assesses official efforts to address the problem of financial crises in emerging markets. Professor Eichengreen describes the progress that has been made in limiting the frequency of crises and strengthening the international financial system. He also shows that initiatives in this area have unintentionally made life more difficult for the poorest countries. He therefore argues that efforts to limit the threat to the international financial system need to be linked to an increase in development assistance. Another place where official efforts have fallen short, the author argues is in creating new ways of resolving crises. He shows that official financing through the International Monetary Fund is part of the problem. The IMF's financial rescues allow investors to escape without losses, in turn encouraging them to lend without due regard to the risks. This only makes the international system more crises prone. That the IMF has repeatedly come under pressure to bail out crisis countries reflects the absence of other acceptable ways of resolving the financial difficulties of emerging markets. Not lending threatens to expose the international financial system to a disorderly and disruptive crisis. At the same time, radical new alternatives like an international bankruptcy court or international lender of last resort would create more problems than they solved-even if there was the political appetite for such ambitious schemes, which there is not. The author concludes that the best way to enhance the efficiency and stability of international financial markets is by pushing for changes to the provisions of loan agreements that will enhance the capacity of creditors and debtors to resolve financial problems on their own.

Financial markets across the Arabian Peninsula have gone from being small, quasi-medieval structures in the 1960s to large world-class groupings of financial institutions. This evolution has been fueled by vast increases in income from oil and natural gas. The Financial Markets of the Arab Gulf presents and analyzes the banks, stock markets, investment companies, money changers and sovereign wealth funds that have grown from this oil wealth and how this income has acted as a buffer between Gulf society at large and the newfound cash reserves of Gulf Cooperation Council states (Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman and Bahrain) over the last fifty years. By assessing the development of institutions like the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, the Saudi Arabian Monetary Authority, the Public Investment Fund and the National Bank of Kuwait, The Financial Markets of the Arab Gulf evaluates the growth of the markets and provides a detailed, critical, snapshot of the current form and function of the Gulf's financial markets. It argues that the markets have been controlled by various state institutions for socio-political reasons. In particular, the Saudi state has used its sophisticated regulatory regime to push for industrialization and diversification, which culminated in the Vision 2030 plan. The UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain and Oman have also been strongly involved in establishing modern markets for similar purposes but have done so through different means, with varying results, and each in line with what has been considered their respective comparative advantages. Along with critically surveying these institutions and their role in global finance, the book also presents case studies depicting transactions typical to the region, including the highly profitable documentary credits of commercial banks, the financial scandal of certain financiers and their regulatory arbitrage between Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, a review of the Dubai's trade miracle, and an assessment of the value and importance of the privatization of Saudi Aramco.

Based on previously unpublished archival records, this book studies the origins of Hong Kong's post war rise to global prominence. It explores the expansion of the gold market, stock market, banking system, foreign exchange market, and insurance in the years 1945-1965.
This book makes a significant contribution to our understanding of the development of Hong Kong, the impact of financial regulation and, more broadly, the role of financial centres in the international economy in the post war period.

eBook available with sample pages: 0203183290

The German state banks - or Landesbanks - are not only some of the largest banks in Germany but are also a dominant force in the international banking sector. These state-owned banks enjoy special privileges and government support which have made them major players in the global arena of banking and finance.Protected by the German taxpayer's seemingly bottomless pockets in the form of state warranties, Landesbanks are able to take part in financing some of the largest projects in the world. They occupy nearly fifty per cent of the top places in both Moody's and Standard and Poor's international rankings. Professor Sinn critically scrutinizes the privileges of the German Landesbanks and questions the justification of government intervention in the banking sector. He predicts that European integration and the introduction of the euro will lead to a fierce take-over battle between Europe's banks. He argues that, given the state warranties, it seems likely that the German Landesbanks will be among the winners in this battle and concludes that the German public banking system has grown far larger than is appropriate for a market economy. This timely book addresses issues of concern for European bankers and policymakers alike. It will also be of interest to students and scholars of financial economics, European integration and money and banking.

Contents:
Part One: Causes and Correlates 1: The Twin Crises: The Causes of Banking and Balance of Payments Problems; 2: The Asian Financial Crisis: A Fait Accompli?; 3: Financial Crisis in the MIT Countries; 4: Japanese Banking Problems: Implications for Southeast Asia; Part Two: Cases and Caveats 5: Indonesia: The Long Road to Recovery; 6: The Malaysian Currency Crisis: Capital Flows Policy Responses and Macroeconomic Vulnerability; 7: Speculative Attack Theory and Currency Crisis in Korea; 8: Banking Crisis in Mexico; 9: Capital Flows and Economic Policy in Brazil; 10: The Yen that is too Strong: A Note on Japanese Crisis; 11: The Lessons from the Asian Financial Crisis; Part Three: Crisis Management and Reforms 12: The Asian Model, the Miracle, the Crisis and the Fund; 13:Financial Crises and Reforms: Towards an Assessment of the Emerging International Financial Architecture; 14: Sustainability, Vulnerability and Risk Management; 15: Should Capital Controls be Banished?

Britain's financial and economic relations with Nazi Germany are assessed in this book. The structure and formulation of British policy, the interaction of government and business and the relationship between British business interests and Nazi germany are looked at. A particular focus of the book is on the crisis of uncertainty felt in Britain over the rejection of economic internationalism. Sterlings devaluation and the imposition of tariffs opened up a breach with Europe which exerted a severely destabilising influence. In the face of economic nationalism at home and agroad, leading figures in British commercial and political life struggled to prevent a complete breakdown of relations with Germany - the most important trading partner in Europe.

This book focuses on the impact of foreign investment on selected sectors of two key transition economies - Russia and the Ukraine - to explain the effect of foreign direct investment on the transitional economy. It examines how key Western players in the international investment business have chosen whether to invest in the former Soviet Union and applies these findings to sectors within Russia and the Ukraine. Whilst recognizing the tremendous importance of foreign direct investment (FDI) as a means to upgrade technology in transition conditions, the study also examines the importance of FDI in internationalizing production. The authors question the difference globalization can make to a transition economy in a situation where domestic investment is not recovering, and where there is still no clear-cut upward trend in levels of production.

Contents:
Chapter 1. Introduction
Major themes Outline of the book Acknowledgments Dedication
Chapter 2. Conceptualizing and Measuring Foreign Investment
Theoretical perspectives Dunning's 'eclectic model' of FDI The product cycle and the investment development path The obsolescing bargain Free standing companies Expatriate investment The Third World and colonies Colonial policy and FDI Measuring and comparing the size of FDI Capital and the capital-output ratio Further measurement issues Final comments Endnotes
Chapter 3. Evolution of Investment in the Twentieth Century: Source Countries
Global overview FDI in services Foreign portfolio equity investment British investment Trends in British direct investment French overseas investment Issues in the measurement of French colonial investment The United States Belgium The Netherlands Japan Concluding comments Endnotes
Chapter 4. Africa
Egypt Algeria Morocco Tunisia French sub-Saharan Africa Côte d'Ivoire Liberia Zaire British Tropical Africa Ghana Nigeria Kenya Uganda Union of South Africa North and South Rhodesia Zimbabwe Zambia Endnotes
Chapter 5. Asia and the Middle East
Australia China India Indochina Indonesia Korea Malaysia Philippines Taiwan Thailand The Middle East and Petroleum Turkey Endnotes
Chapter 6. Latin America, the Caribbean, and Canada
Argentina Brazil Canada Chile Colombia Cuba Honduras Jamaica Mexico Peru Venezuela Endnotes
Chapter 7. General Results
Long term trends Estimates of the foreign ownership of domestic capital The relative importance of expatriate investment Econometric explanation of pre-World War I FDI The relative size of railroads Railroad financing The investment development path The 'big push' and domestic growth Source country factors Location specific advantages in host countries Privatization and FDI Overall summary Future trends Endnotes