Analysis on Regional Differences and Spatial Convergence of Digital Village Development Level: Theory and Evidence from China

Xiaojing Li,Xianli Xia,Raj Bahadur Singh Chandel

doi:10.3390/agriculture12020164

Xiaojing Li, Xianli Xia + Show 1 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture12020164

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Abstract

In the context of the rapid development of the global Internet, evaluating the digital village development level (DVI) in different regions is important for policy formulation and scientific research in the field of rural digital development. Based on the measurement of DVI using panel data of provinces from 2005 to 2018, we also explored the causes of DVI development differences using the Dagum Gini coefficient decomposition and spatial convergence method. The study found that: (1) During the whole sample period, the DVI in China and the four major regions showed a significant upward trend as a whole, with the highest in the eastern region and the lowest in the western region, but the development of DVI among different provinces showed regional non-equilibrium characteristics. (2) DVI has a typical agglomeration effect in the spatial and geographical distribution, and regional differences are the primary source of differences in DVI development in China, but the overall regional differences show a decreasing trend. (3) Except for the northeast region, σ-convergence exists in the other three regions; in addition, all regions have significant conditional β-convergence, but the convergence speed is significantly different. (4) Rural population density, industrial structure, and economic development level significantly affect DVI. Therefore, we suggest strengthening the inter-regional connection and element flow and realizing the improvement of the overall DVI of the region through cooperation and mutual assistance.

Highlights

We found that: DVI shows an upward trend throughout the study period, mainly from the local government’s policy support for rural development and digital Internet technologies in China
We found that all four regions showed σ-convergence over the sample period, and the Dagum Gini coefficient decomposition indicated that the differences between regions are gradually decreasing, which indicated that the differences in China’s digital countryside index within the four regions gradually narrow
This study found that the level of digital village development in China is uneven between regions, with considerable differences in development levels between provinces and regions

Summary

Introduction

Digital information technology with the Internet as the core has gradually transformed into new production factors and governance tools, becoming an important driving force for the current high-quality economic development and a vital support force for building a modern social governance system [1,2,3]. Report 2019, as of June 2019, the number of Internet users in rural China has reached. To further utilize the critical role of digital information technology in agricultural and rural economic and social development, the national government departments issued relevant policy documents to guide its development. In practice, the construction of a digital village provides new ideas and new opportunities for rural development in various regions [4]

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