Does the Mundell-Fleming model fit in China?

Abstract

This paper examines the causal relationship between interest rate differential (IRD) and international short-term capital flow (SCF) to determine whether such a relationship in China supports the Mundell-Fleming model. With structural changes existing, we find that long-run relationship using full-sample data is unstable, suggesting that causality test is not reliable. Consequently, we use a time-varying rolling-window approach to revisiting the dynamic causal relationship, and the results show that IRD has both positive and negative impacts on SCF in several sub-periods, but SCF has no effect on IRD in China. When China suffers external and internal shocks, SCF should not be curbed only by adjusting IRD. Therefore, it is critical for policymakers to pay attention to specific backgrounds (e.g. economic situation, monetary policies) and further employ interest rate and fiscal policies in reducing negative influence from SCF on the Chinese economy.

Keywords

• Mundell-Fleming model
• short-term capital flow
• rolling window
• interest rate differential
• time-varying causality