Exploring the Root-Leaf Relationship between the Manufacturing and Financial Services Industry in Taiwan

Abstract

We employ the concept of Granger causality to investigate the root-leaf relationship between the manufacturing and financial services industry in Taiwan's economy. Our empirical results show that manufacturing led finance for the last half century, which is consistent with the pattern of other emerging economies. However, the liberalization of the financial services industry in the 1980s changed the relationship from "manufacturing leads, finance follows" to a feedback system. Accordingly, the financial services industry should play a more important role than previously for Taiwan to maintain its economic growth.