Financial inclusion in China: Conceptual, methodological and policy issues. By Vanesa Cela

Vanesa Cela (SOAS)

Abstract

The issue of “financial inclusion” has risen to the top of international and national development agendas in recent years. Improving access to formal financial services is increasingly regarded as having a critical role in promoting inclusive growth in developing countries. However, despite the current policy enthusiasm for financial inclusion, our understanding of the relationship between financial sector outreach and growth is limited and constrained by persistent conceptual and methodological weaknesses in the literature. Against this background, this seminar will critically examine financial inclusion policies, practices and research in China, the country with the second highest number of financially excluded adults in the world after India