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., SHEN, J., CHEONG, T. S. & WOJEWODZKI, M. 2021. Detecting Conflicts of Interest in Credit Rating Changes: A Distribution Dynamics Approach. Financial Innovation, 7, 1 – 23.
• SHEN, J., SHUM, W. Y., CHEONG, T. S. & WANG, L. 2021. COVID-19 and Regional Income Inequality in China. Frontiers in Public Health, 9, 541.
• SHI, X., CHEONG, T. S. & LI, V. J. 2021. Evolution of Future World Coal Consumption: Insights from a Distribution Dynamics Approach. International Journal of Oil, Gas and Coal Technology, 27, 186 - 207.
• CHEONG, T.S., LI, J. & CHENG, W.W. 2021. Distribution Dynamics of China’s Regional Housing Price Disparity. International Journal of Urban Sciences, 25, 51 - 70.
• ZHANG, H., SHI, X., CHEONG, T. S. & WANG, K. 2020. Convergence of Carbon Emissions at the Household Level in China: A Distribution Dynamics Approach. Energy Economics, 92, 104956.
• SHI, X., WANG, K., CHEONG, T. S. & ZHANG, H. 2020. Prioritizing Driving Factors of Household Carbon Emissions: An Application of the LASSO Model with Survey Data. Energy Economics, 92, 104942.
• WU, J., WU, Y. & CHEONG, T. S. 2020. New Evidence on the Convergence and Regional Clusters in China: A Weighted Continuous Distribution Dynamics Approach. Applied Economics, 53, 976 - 995.
• SHI, X., YU, J. & CHEONG, T. S. 2020. Convergence and Distribution Dynamics of Energy Consumption among China's Households. Energy Policy, 142, 111496.
• WEI, Y., CHUNG, K. H. K., CHEONG, T. S. & CHUI, D. K. H. 2020. The Evolution of Energy Market and Energy Usage: An Application of the Distribution Dynamics Analysis. Frontiers in Energy Research, 8, 122.
• WANG, L., CHEONG, T. S., WU, Y. & WU, J. 2020. Convergence and Inter-Country Inequality within Asia: A Combined Approach Using Decomposition Techniques and Transitional Dynamics Analysis. Asian Economic Journal, 33, 341 - 362.
• 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

• 中國國家社科基金重大項目, 2021, Co-Investigator, RMB¥ 800,000. Project Title: 積極參與和引領應對氣候變化國際合作研究 (21ZDA089)
• Public Policy Research (PPR) Funding Scheme, 2020, Co-Investigator, HK$ 392,150. Project Title: Evaluating the Impact of New Town Development: A Piketty's Framework (2020.A4.071.20D)
• Inter-Institutional Development Scheme (IIDS), 2017, Co-Investigator, HK$ 381,900. Project Title: Fintech: Disruptive Innovation in Financial Services (UGC/IIDS14/B02/17).
• 中國教育部人文社會科學研究專案, 2017, Co-Investigator, RMB¥ 100,000. Project Title: 加權的連續性分佈動態方法及其應用研究 (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

Editorship

• 2021 – present

• 2020 – 2021

Professional Memberships

• 2020 – present

• 2020

• 2018 – present

• 2014 – 2018

• 2010 – 2014

Research / Consultancy Projects

• 2020-2021 Research and Survey on Industrial Development Trend for the Hong Kong Young Industrialists Council (香港青年工業家協會)
• 2019-2020 Research on the Effectiveness of Financial Education Programs and Youth Entrepreneurship Programs for the Students of Secondary Schools for the Healthy Budgeting Family Debt Counselling Centre (健康理財家庭輔導中心) of Tung Wah Group of Hospitals (東華三院)
• 2014-2015 Various CGE modeling on the impacts of socioeconomic policies for PwC (Australia) including Benefits and Productivity Improvements for Online Data Dissemination Impacts on Business Sectors for Changes in Australia’s Trade Policies Benefits of Australian Government’s Overseas Investment

Media / TV Interviews

• TV interview: aired on Television Broadcasts Limited (TVB)’s News Report, 18th February 2021 at 18:30
• TV interview: aired on Television Broadcasts Limited (TVB)’s News Report, 10th July 2020 at 18:30
• TV interview: aired on Television Broadcasts Limited (TVB)’s “A Closer Look時事多面睇”, 26th June 2020 at 21:30