Faculty Members Directory

Biography

Dr Cheong is an Associate Professor at HSUHK. He received his Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Western Australia, and he holds a Master of Applied Finance from the Western Sydney University. He also has a Master’s degree in International Relations from Griffith University, and a Bachelor’s degree (Honours) in Engineering from the Hong Kong Polytechnic University. He has conducted research in many different fields. The findings of his research studies have been published in many prestigious journals. He is the Associate Editor of the Journal of the Asia Pacific Economy, and a member of the Executive Committee of the Chinese Economics Society Australia. He is experienced in the study of economic problems using various econometric programs (Stata, EViews). He also has an extensive knowledge in Computable General Equilibrium (CGE) analysis and applied economic modeling (GEMPACK ORANI-G, RunGDYN, RunGTAP, TERM). Moreover, he has a comprehensive knowledge in state-of-the-art analytical techniques such as machine learning, artificial neural network analysis, and deep learning (MATLAB, TensorFlow, Keras, NumPy, Pandas, Matplotlib, Seaborn, Scikit-learn). He also knows Python and VBA. Because of his profound knowledge in economic modeling, he has offered training to the staff at the Australian Federal Treasury and Ph.D. students at the Australian National University and UWA. He also worked as a consultant for PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) Australia in evaluating the impacts of various policies for the Australian Federal Government, trade association, and corporation. After migrating back to Hong Kong from Australia, he has provided professional training on economics to various professional associations and corporations in Hong Kong, and has participated in many consultancy projects and TV interviews. CGE economic analysis is deemed to be the best tool in evaluating the impacts of socioeconomic issues and policy changes. CGE model describes all parts of an economy and it can provide pragmatic policy recommendations to the government in formulating policies and relevant information to the corporations in preparing forecasts. However, CGE model is very complicated, and some model can have millions of equations. Because of the complexity of CGE modeling, it is not commonly employed. Dr Cheong is an expert in CGE modeling, and he always promotes the use of this analytical tool in economic analysis. As the Programme Director of the BBA-Economics Programme, he has incorporated the training of CGE modeling into the programme, so that students can gain hands-on experience in using CGE software, thereby giving them an edge in employment.

Research and Teaching Interests

• China’s economy; development economics; energy economics; environmental economics; inequality; rural development; real estate economics; socioeconomic policy analysis; policy simulation; distribution dynamics analysis; Computable General Equilibrium (CGE) analysis; machine learning; artificial neural network analysis; deep learning

Intellectual Contributions (Publications, Conferences, Books, Book Chapters, etc.)

Journals:
• LEE, W. C., CHEONG, T. S., WU, Y. & WU, J. 2019. The Impacts of Financial Development, Urbanization, and Globalization on Income Inequality: A Regression-based Decomposition Approach. Asian Economic Papers, 18, 126 – 141.
• ZHUANG, D., LEE, W. C., CHEONG, T. S., WU, H. & PENG, B. 2019. Revisiting Income Inequality in Rural China: A Decomposition by Regression Approach. Journal of the Asia Pacific Economy, 24, 452 – 467.
• LI, J., CHEONG, T. S., SHEN, J. & FU, D. 2019. Urbanization and Rural-Urban Consumption Disparity: Evidence from China. Singapore Economic Review, 64, 983 – 996.
• CHEONG, T. S., CHENG, A. W. W. & LI, J. 2019. Evolutionary Trend of Foreign Investment in China: A Combined Decomposition and Transitional Dynamics Approach. Singapore Economic Review, 64, 1037 – 1055.
• CHEONG, T. S. & WU, Y. 2018. Convergence and Transitional Dynamics of China's Industrial Output: A County-Level Study Using a New Framework of Distribution Dynamics Analysis. China Economic Review, 48, 125 – 138.
• CHEONG, T. S. & LI, V. J. 2018. Transitional Distribution Dynamics of Housing Affordability in Australia, Canada and USA. International Journal of Housing Markets and Analysis, 11, 204 – 222.
• WU, J., WU, Y., CHEONG, T. S. & YU, Y. 2018. Distribution Dynamics of Energy Intensity in Chinese Cities. Applied Energy, 211, 875 – 889.
• LI, V.J., CHENG, A.W.W. & CHEONG, T. S. 2017. Home Purchase Restriction and Housing Price: A Distribution Dynamics Analysis. Regional Science and Urban Economics, 67, 1 – 10.
• WU, J., WU, Y., GUO, X. & CHEONG, T. S. 2016. Convergence of Carbon Dioxide Emissions in Chinese Cities: A Continuous Dynamic Distribution Approach. Energy Policy, 91, 207 – 219.
• CHEONG, T. S., WU, Y. & WU, J. 2016. Evolution of Carbon Dioxide Emissions in Chinese Cities: Trends and Transitional Dynamics. Journal of the Asia Pacific Economy, 21, 357 – 377.
• LI, S. & CHEONG, T. S. 2016. Convergence and Mobility of Rural Household Income in China: New Evidence from a Transitional Dynamics Approach. China Agricultural Economic Review, 8, 383 -398.
• CHEONG, T. S. & WU, Y. 2015. Crime Rates and Inequality: A Study of Crime in Contemporary China. Journal of the Asia Pacific Economy, 20, 202 – 223.
• CHEONG, T. S. & WU, Y. 2014. The Impacts of Structural Transformation and Industrial Upgrading on Regional Inequality in China. China Economic Review, 31, 339 – 350.
• CHEONG, T. S. & WU, Y. 2013. Regional Disparity, Transitional Dynamics and Convergence in China. Journal of Asian Economics, 29, 1– 14.

Book Chapters:
• TYERS, R., ZHANG, Y. & CHEONG, T.S. 2013. China’s Saving and Global Economic Performance. In GARNAUT, R., FANG, C., & SONG, L. (eds.) China: A New Model for Growth and Development. Canberra: ANU E Press.
• CHEONG, T. S. & WU, Y. 2012. Intra-Provincial Inequality in China. In: MCKAY, H. & SONG, L. (eds.) Rebalancing and Sustaining Growth in China. Canberra: ANU E Press.
• CHEONG, T. S. 2012. New Evidence of Regional Inequality. In: WU, Y. (ed.) Regional Development and Economic Growth in China. Singapore: World Scientific Publishing.

Research Grants and Awards

• Inter-Institutional Development Scheme (IIDS), 2017, Co-Investigator, HK$ 381,900. Project Title: Fintech: Disruptive Innovation in Financial Services (UGC/IIDS14/B02/17).
• 中國教育部人文社会科学研究项目, 2017, Co-Investigator, RMB¥100,000. Project Title: 加权的连续性分布动态方法及其应用研究 (16YJA790050).
• Faculty Development Scheme (FDS), 2016, Principal-Investigator, HK$ 421,177. Project Title: The Evolutionary Trend of International Income Inequality: An Analysis of Decomposition and Transitional Dynamics (UGC/FDS14/B19/16).

Business and Professional Engagement

• Hong Kong Young Industrialists Council, HKSAR: Research and survey on industrial development trend
• The Healthy Budgeting Family Debt Counselling Centre of Tung Wah Group of Hospitals, HKSAR: Research on the Effectiveness of Financial Education Programs and Youth Entrepreneurship Programs for the Students of Secondary Schools
• PwC, Australia: Benefits and productivity improvements for online data dissemination
• PwC, Australia: Impacts on the business sectors for changes in Australia’s trade policies
• PwC, Australia: Benefits of Australian government’s overseas investment