Weekend Long Read: A Japanese Economist’s Lasting Impact on China

Ryutaro Komiya, who died last year, was a leading figure in the field whose insights on Chinese economic reforms in the 1980s and ’90s still deserve attention, writes his colleague Wu Jinglian

Ryutaro Komiya

At the onset of spring, distressing news arrived from Japan: professor Ryutaro Komiya, whom I have always deeply admired, passed away on Oct. 31. This news was shocking, and it filled me with sadness.

Professor Komiya was a leading figure in modern Japanese economics. He had a keen interest in researching China’s economic issues and fostering academic exchanges between Chinese and Japanese economists. His research and observations have had a lasting impact on China’s economic reforms, and on me personally.