Technology imports, independent innovation, and China's green economic efficiency: an analysis based on spatial and mediating effect.

Abstract

Environmental quality and economic growth are important factors that need to be balanced for sustainable development, especially in developing countries where technology is relatively backward. Many studies have shown that technology imports may be beneficial to economic growth, but once the resources and environment are taken into consideration, the role of technology imports becomes blurred. Based on provincial panel data of China from 2004 to 2019, this paper investigates the influence mechanism of domestic and foreign technology imports on the green economic efficiency (GEE) of 30 provinces in China. There are two main conclusions: First, GEE is spatially related and the impact of technology imports on GEE has a significant spillover effect. Besides, the relationship between technology imports and GEE is non-linear, both in terms of direct and indirect effects. Second, independent innovation plays an important role in the influence mechanism of technology imports on GEE. As the level of independent innovation increased, the impact of technology imports on GEE turns from negative to positive, and it is strengthened through the channel of "transfer-absorption-diffusion-re-innovation." In this regard, some measures should be taken to enhance the role of technology imports in improving GEE.