Impact of Land Input on Economic Growth at Different Stages of Development in Chinese Cities and Regions

Chunshan Zhou,Wanfu Jin,Lijia Luo

doi:10.3390/su10082847

Abstract

Regional industrial structure and land use patterns differ between the different stages of development, and the impact of land input on economic growth may vary. On the basis of land supply data obtained from http://www.landchina.com/ for 2010–2015, this study used an econometric model to explore the impact of land input on the economic growth of Chinese cities and regions at the different stages of development. Empirical results show that the development of 352 cities and regions in China in 2015 can be divided into five stages; namely, primary production stage (PPS), primary industrialization stage (PIS), middle industrialization stage (MIS), later industrialization stage (LIS), and developed stage (DS). The economic growth of cities and regions at the LIS or DS was significantly dependent on capital and labor input rather than land input. The land input of cities and regions at PPS, PIS, and MIS significantly promoted economic growth. This article enriches the study of regional economic growth and is beneficial to further understanding of the impact of land input on the economic growth of China.

Highlights

In the past 40 years, the economy of China has rapidly developed and has emerged as the second largest economy worldwide measured by gross domestic product (GDP), the largest global factory, and the first-ranked exporter in the world [1]
Our research indicates that from 2010 to 2015, the economic growth of China significantly relied on capital investment and not on land
The imbalance of regional economic development in China has been decreasing in recent years, the regional economic development level was still significantly different because of the differences in regional conditions

Summary

Introduction

In the past 40 years, the economy of China has rapidly developed and has emerged as the second largest economy worldwide measured by gross domestic product (GDP), the largest global factory (with an unparalleled scale of industrial output), and the first-ranked exporter in the world [1]. In the face of the diminishing arable land resources and increasing food demand due to population growth, it is more important for cities and regions at different stages of development to formulate reasonable land management policies to coordinate economic sustainable growth and arable land protection. This paper used the land supply results bulletin of the China land market in 2010–2015 to explore the impact of land input on the economic growth of cities and regions at the different stages of development and analyze the impact of economic growth mode on land use at different stages of development for proposing relevant policy recommendations for coordinating the protection of cultivated land resources and sustainable economic development in China. The primary results are summarized, and policy implications are discussed

Previous Literature

Theil Statistics

Economic Model

Economic Growth of Cities and Regions at Different Stages of Development

Findings

Conclusions and Policy Implications