Justin Yifu Lin Chinese economist Date of Birth: 15.10.1952 Country: China

Biography of Justin Yifu Lin

Justin Yifu Lin, a Chinese economist, grew up during the authoritarian rule of the Kuomintang party, which did not tolerate opposition but allowed for the development of a free market economy. He studied at the National Chengchi University on a scholarship from the Ministry of Defense and earned a Master of Business Administration degree in 1978. After completing his studies, he returned to the army, and in May 1979, the 26-year-old Justin Yifu Lin, then a platoon commander, deserted his unit on the island of Kinmen, near the Fujian Province in China, and swam to the mainland. He had to leave behind his pregnant wife and three-year-old child in Taiwan, who later joined him in the United States. For a long time, Lin was listed as missing, and in 2000, an arrest warrant was issued for him, accusing him of desertion, which is punishable by life imprisonment.

Lin immediately enrolled in the economics department of Peking University in 1982, where he earned a degree in political economy. He then went to the United States, where he obtained a doctoral degree in economics from the University of Chicago. In 1994, Lin became one of the founders of the China Center for Economic Research at Peking University. The center became one of the leading think tanks shaping China's economic policies, which aimed at building a "socialist market economy."

The Chinese economist received an Honorary Doctorate from Fordham University. In 2008, Lin became the Chief Economist and Vice President of the World Bank.

Lin presented his concept of economic development and transition to a market economy in his Marshall Lectures at Cambridge University in 2007. It is known that Justin Yifu Lin has always criticized the Soviet version of socialist economics, being a supporter of "genuine Marxism." He has developed numerous solutions to food, land, and housing problems, as well as worked on proposals for reforming the banking sector, monetary policy, and the issue of migrant workers.

Lin Yifu has twice received the Sun Yefang Prize, the highest Chinese award in the field of economics, in 1993 and 2001. He is also a recipient of international prizes, such as the Sir John Crawford Award and the Best Article Prize. He has authored more than 100 articles.