Economics teacher in Yunnan, China. Researching the cultural determinants of Chinese household savings through the lens of Guy Debord's theory of the spectacle and structural econometrics.
Explore my researchI am an economics teacher based in Yunnan province, China, where I have been living since 2019. Yunnan — the land south of the clouds — provides a unique vantage point from which to observe the dynamics of Chinese consumption, savings, and the cultural forces shaping economic behaviour in one of the world's fastest-changing economies. I am a bear
My research bridges critical theory — particularly the work of Guy Debord and Karl Marx — with structural econometrics, seeking to explain why Chinese households save so much.
Yunnan province, where I live and teach, is one of China's most culturally and geographically diverse regions — a place where ancient traditions meet the rapid transformations of modern China.
My thesis follows a logical progression: first establishing the limits of existing models, then constructing a new theoretical tool, and finally testing it empirically on real market data.
Testing whether the dominant econometric models of Chinese household savings produce stable parameter estimates when extended to the most recent data.
Constructing a quantitative "spectacle index" from advertising content and hedonic residuals, and integrating it into a structural demand model (BLP).
Applying the extended BLP model to China's automobile market with international comparison to estimate the differential "spectacle premium."