Regional Economic Development Research Articles

Studying development trend of coastline change in China using CiteSpace

The investigation of coastline alterations holds significant scientific and societal importance, particularly in guiding offshore engineering planning and design, as well as the economic development of coastal regions. In this study, we used CiteSpace software to examine relevant literature within the China National Knowledge Infrastructure database to explore the current status, hotspots, and frontiers of research on coastline change in China. Our findings revealed a consistent increase in the number of publications within this domain, with 1996 representing the first growth point in the number of publications on coastal changes. Since 2002, the number of publications has significantly increased owing to scientific and technological advancements and urban development. Research on coastal changes in China is primarily conducted in universities and research institutes, particularly at the Ocean University of China. However, research institutions and authors are widely dispersed, and the consistency between them is low. An apparent, balanced distribution phenomenon exists in this research field. Content related to keywords such as “coastline,” “coastal zone,” and “remote sensing” is the focus of research in this field. Remote sensing monitoring, big data analysis, and deep learning techniques are closely related to the study of coastline changes, representing the latest advancements in this field.

Economic policy uncertainty and enterprise export resilience in China: Does the digital economy matter?

In the new era of international trade, escalating uncertainty and the swift development of the digital economy stand out as two pivotal transformations. These phenomena individually exert significant influences on enterprises' exports; however, their combined effects on export resilience remain underexplored. Hence, drawing on existing theories, this paper analyzes the weakening effect of economic policy uncertainty on export resilience and explores the influence of regional digital economic development on this attenuation effect. Furthermore, empirical tests are conducted using micro-level data from China. The study findings reveal: (1) Economic policy uncertainty weakens firms' export resilience by increasing transaction costs; (2) Digital economic development mitigates this weakening effect by reducing transaction costs, with a more pronounced effect observed among highly efficient firms. The findings suggest that amid escalating uncertainty, vigorously promoting digital economic development holds profound policy significance for the high-quality development of international trade.

Modelling and assessing new SME digital business status for visualising virtual economics and sustainability economic indicators: Empirical evidence from poultry business

SMEs are generally recognised as financial contributors to regional economic development. Despite the enormous contributions of digital SMEs to sustainable economic growth and regional development have not yet been reported. This paper assesses and models SME businesses to gain a digital business status and model. These days, visualising economic growth is challenging and powerful to identify business performance and realise sustainable regional development. This research analyses empirical data obtained from a poultry business to form a standard model for implementing a new SME digital business model and status. This standard model is a guideline to measure the other SME businesses and productions. Localisation of the SDGs was analysed using thematic analysis. Mathematical computation is used to visualise virtual economic growth geographically. Hence, our digital business model and status demonstrated business performance, management, and economic growth.

Study on the Action Mechanism and Conduction Path of Quality Immune System Resilience in Special Precision and New Enterprises of Liaoning Province

With the continuous evolution of the global economic landscape and the increasingly fierce competition in the market, the resilience of the enterprise quality immune system has become increasingly important. As an important province in Northeast China, Liaoning Province has rich industrial resources and talent reserves. In recent years, with the country's attention to and support for the innovation and development of small and medium-sized enterprises, Liaoning's "specialized, special and new" enterprises have gradually emerged and become an important force to promote regional economic development. In-depth research on it will not only help to enhance the core competitiveness of enterprises, but also help promote the industrial upgrading and economic development of the entire region to adapt to the changing market demand and competitive environment. By consulting relevant books, periodicals, policy documents, etc., we can deeply understand the core competitiveness and market position of Liaoning's "specialized, special and new" enterprises. Through the study of the resilience of the quality immune system of enterprises, the advantages of enterprises in specific fields or technologies can be revealed, and the development potential and growth space of "specialized, special and new" enterprises in Liaoning can be evaluated, which help to promote the development of enterprises further.

Correlation between Scientific and Technological Achievements of Universities and Regional Innovation System in Ensuring Sustainable Economic Development at the Meso Level

The transformation of scientific and technological achievements of universities is of great importance for regional economic development and the development of scientific and technological innovation. Based on three aspects — the input of innovative resources, the output of scientific and technological achievements and the transformation of scientific and technological achievements — this study selected 13 indicators, such as scientific and technical expenditures, the number of scientific and technical personnel, the results of publication activities, intellectual activity, patents, contracts and income from the transformation of scientific and technological achievements, to build an indicator system for the transformation of scientific and technological achievements of colleges and universities; at the same time 7 indicators were selected, such as the number of scientific and technological personnel, funding, the number of patents and scientific and technological business-incubators, to build a regional system for assessing scientific and technical potential, a system for assessing regional scientific and technical innovation potential. Based on the factor analysis method, the transformation scores of scientific and technological achievements of universities and regional scientific and technological innovations in each region of China in 2019–2021 were calculated; secondly, using the Coupling coordination degree model, the degree of relationship and coordination between the university system of transformation of scientific and technological achievements and the regional scientific and technological innovation system in different regions of China was calculated. The study showed that the level of scientific and technological achievements is uneven and not high; points of innovative development of Chinese regions have been identified. Thus, the transformation of scientific and technological achievements of universities is a necessary path for the scientific, technological and economic development of regions, when it is necessary to combine the needs of regional development, take measures to strengthen support for scientific and technological personnel, create platforms for sharing resources, and improve policies in the field of intellectual property in order to promote the industrialization of scientific and technological achievements, promote regional scientific and technological innovations and develop regional industry.

Research on the Impact of Carbon Emission Trading Market on Regional Economic Development: A Case Study of East China

This article delves into the impact of carbon emission trading mechanism on regional economy, especially in East China, and focuses on analyzing how this mechanism promotes green transformation and high-quality development of the economy by influencing green technology innovation of enterprises. Research has found that carbon emission trading not only incentivizes companies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, but also guides capital and technological innovation to flow towards low-carbon areas through market mechanisms, thereby promoting the optimization of industrial structure and sustainable economic development. This article also discusses the impact of different quota allocation methods on green innovation in enterprises, pointing out that the benchmark method can more effectively stimulate the innovation drive of enterprises compared to the historical method. Therefore, according to the research findings, it is necessary to improve the construction of carbon markets, scientifically formulate quota allocation systems, avoid negative impacts on early green innovation enterprises, and provide policy support to reduce innovation costs for enterprises.

Unveiling the Dynamics of Rural Revitalization: From Disorder to Harmony in China’s Production-Life-Ecology Space

This study utilizes provincial panel data from China spanning the period from 2011 to 2020 to assess the coupled and coordinated development of spatial functions related to production, life, and ecology (PLE) in rural areas. The assessment is based on quantifying the spatial function indices for PLE in China’s rural regions. Additionally, it examines the characteristics of their spatial and temporal evolution, spatial correlation, and driving factors. The findings indicate a modest upward trend in the spatial coupling and coordination levels of these functions across rural China, although a significant proportion of provinces still exhibit a near-disordered decline. Exploratory spatial data analysis reveals a geographical disparity, with higher levels of coupled and coordinated development observed in the eastern regions, lower levels in the west, and noticeable spatial clustering. By employing the spatial Durbin model to investigate the determinants of coupling degrees, we discovered that factors such as regional economic development, urbanization, the urban–rural income gap, financial support for agriculture, science and technology investment level, and agricultural structural adjustments significantly influence the spatial coupling of rural PLE functions. Furthermore, using the geographic detector model, the analysis identifies science and technology investment level, economic development, and financial support for agriculture as key drivers influencing the spatial coupling and coordination of these functions. These findings provide valuable reference points for policies and strategies related to rural management.

Tourism Development In Padang City: A Systematic Literature Review

The tourism industry is pivotal in driving regional and national economic development. It stands as one of the most reliable sources of revenue generation while also serving as a significant employer and bolstering regional investment. Governments are diligently crafting plans and policies to foster this sector's growth. One such strategy involves enhancing existing tourism offerings to attract more visitors. An extensive literature review spanning the past five years was conducted to shed light on the trajectory of tourism development in Padang. The findings reveal that tourism development in Padang has been chiefly pursued through promotional efforts on social media and the web, alongside investments in infrastructure and facilities. Furthermore, it is evident that the advancement of tourism in Padang has positively impacted social welfare and contributed to preserving environmental and cultural sustainability within the city.

The path toward urban carbon neutrality: How does the low-carbon city pilot policy stimulate low-carbon technology?

To reduce carbon emissions, it is important to promote the development of low-carbon technology in urban areas. This study is the first to examine the impact of policies on the advancement of low-carbon technologies using the Low-Carbon City Pilot Policy as a quasi-natural experiment. Specifically, the study examines the impacts of the Low-Carbon City Pilot Policy on low-carbon and carbon-reducing, -neutral, and -negative technologies. It does so by analyzing data from 2006 to 2020 across 278 prefecture-level cities in China. The analysis is based on various models and includes use of multi-period difference-in-differences (DID), multi-period propensity score matching (PSM) DID, event study, staggered DID, and synthetic DID (SDID). The results indicate that the Low-Carbon City Pilot Policy has substantially impacted the development of urban low-carbon inventions, particularly evident in the ongoing growth of carbon-neutral and -negative technologies. The Low-Carbon City Pilot Policy is mainly achieved through industrial upgrades, green finance, and public behavior, but the effects on low-carbon technologies are heterogeneous due to environmental resources law and regional digital economic development. These findings offer more theoretical backing and empirical substantiation for the Chinese government's pursuit of “point-to-surface” implementation of low-carbon cities, and for the expedited achievement of its “carbon peaking, carbon neutrality” target.

The Orientation of "Applied Education" in Colleges and Universities is Examined based on the Strategy of Sustainable Development of Talents

From the strategic perspective of the sustainable development of talents, this paper probes into the positioning of "applied education" in colleges and universities. At first, the paper analyzes the transformation of the current social demand for talents, and emphasizes the importance of application-oriented education in cultivating high-quality talents that meet the market demand. Then, the article expounds the core connotation of applied education, that is, pay attention to the practical application of knowledge and the training of practical ability, so as to meet the needs of economic and social development for talents. On this basis, the article further discusses the orientation of colleges and universities in applied education, and puts forward that colleges and universities should combine their own characteristics and resources to build an applied education system that ADAPTS to regional economic and social development. Finally, the article points out that in the process of implementing application-oriented education, colleges and universities should pay attention to the renewal of educational ideas, the optimization of curriculum system, the reform of teaching methods and the construction of teachers, so as to ensure the quality and effect of application-oriented education and provide strong support for the sustainable development of talents.

Green Finance Promotes High-Quality Development of Regional Economy

With the rapid development of the social economy, the role of green finance in promoting the high-quality development of regional economies is increasing day by day. The advancement of green finance not only aids in fostering the green transformation and upgrading of regional economies but also helps mitigate the risks of environmental damage stemming from traditional economic activities. In this new era, it is imperative to embrace the concept of green finance development and innovate green finance practices to further drive high-quality regional economic development. This paper will analyze the significance of green finance in regional economic development, assess the current state of green finance development, and propose optimization strategies for green finance to facilitate high-quality economic development.

Research on the Impact and Opportunities of the Digital Economy Promoting the Development of Real Economy

The digital economy has infused vitality into the transformation and development of the real economy, urging enterprises to break through core technological barriers, address bottleneck issues, and improve their core competitiveness. It fosters the comprehensive digital transformation of agriculture, manufacturing, and service sectors, improving the dynamism of the real economy and fostering more consumption hotspots. Efforts are underway to enhance industrial supply chains and innovation chains, optimize regional resource allocation, and promote a virtuous cycle within the real economy. Initiatives are being undertaken to standardize the development of digital economic platforms, promote the high-quality development of regional economies, and leverage the advantages of the socialist market economy with Chinese characteristics.

Research on Sports Public Service Supply in the Chengdu–Chongqing Twin-City Economic Circle under the Background of Regional Economic Development

Using literature, questionnaires, interviews, and mathematical statistics to investigate the current situation of sports public services in the Chengdu–Chongqing Twin-city Economic Circle. The results show that there are some problems in Chengdu–Chongqing sports public services, such as big difference in the development level of supply between urban and rural areas, low supply level, low efficiency, supply mechanism defect, lack of social sports instructors, an outstanding contradiction between the quality of sports public service and residents’ demand. To address the problems, government departments should accelerate the transformation of government functions, improve the relevant regulations and systems, increase the investment in sports public services, improve the quality of supply, cultivate the backbone team, integrate resources, and combine the national characteristics with regional characteristics, take into account the personalized needs of the residents, combine the sports public services with intelligence, and build the service system of “Internet + Fitness.”

Path Analysis of High-Quality Development of Regional Economy The Role and Impact of Industrial Policies

With China’s economic development entering a new normal, high-quality regional economic development has become an important goal of current economic development. As one of the important means to promote high-quality development of the regional economy, industrial policies are increasingly receiving attention in terms of their role and impact. This article mainly conducts an in-depth analysis of the mechanism and impact path of industrial policies, exploring the role and impact of industrial policies in promoting high-quality regional economic development. Firstly, industrial policies play an important role in promoting high-quality regional economic development. Secondly, the impact path of industrial policies on the high-quality development of the regional economy mainly includes promoting industrial structure upgrading, promoting technological innovation, guiding resource allocation, and enhancing enterprise competitiveness. Therefore, it is necessary to increase research and practice on industrial policies, continuously optimize policy measures, and promote high-quality development of the regional economy.

Remote sensing estimation of regional PM2.5 based on GTWR model -A case study of southwest China

Air pollution in China has becoming increasingly serious in recent years with frequent incidents of smog. Parts of southwest China still experience high incidents of smog, with PM2.5 (particulate matter with diameter ≤2.5 μm) being the main contributor. Establishing the spatial distribution of PM2.5 in Southwest China is important for safeguarding regional human health, environmental quality, and economic development. This study used remote sensing (RS) and geographical information system (GIS) technologies and aerosol optical depth (AOD), digital elevation model (DEM), normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), population density, and meteorological data from January to December 2018 for southwest China. PM2.5 concentrations were estimated using ordinary least squares regression (OLS), geographic weighted regression (GWR) and geographically and temporally weighted regression (GTWR). The results showed that: (1) Eight influencing factors showed different correlations to PM2.5 concentrations. However, the R2 values of the correlations all exceeded 0.3, indicating a moderate degree of correlation or more; (2) The correlation R2 values between the measured and remote sensed estimated PM2.5 data by OLS, GWR, and GTWR were 0.554, 0.713, and 0.801, respectively; (3) In general, the spatial distribution of PM2.5 in southwest of China decreases from the Northeast to Northwest, with moderate concentrations in the Southeast and Southwest; (4) The seasonal average PM2.5 concentration is high in winter, low in summer, and moderate in spring and autumn, whereas the monthly average shows a “V” -shaped oscillation change.

Research on the driving effect of marine economy on the high-quality development of regional economy – Evidence from China’s coastal areas

Exploring the driving effect of the marine economy on high-quality economic development can help improve the quality of national economic development and optimize the direction of marine economic development. Based on the data of China’s coastal areas from 2006 to 2019, this study adopts the entropy weight-TOPSIS method to comprehensively evaluate the level of marine economy and the high-quality economic development in coastal areas. Further, we use random forest regression and partial dependence plots to reveal the driving effect of the marine economy on the advancement of high-quality economic growth in China’s coastal areas. The results show that the driving effect of the marine economy on the high-quality development of coastal areas is affected by the moderating effect of the economic elements, and regions should choose their development paths according to the location of their elements in the optimal interval. Our research results can provide a scientific foundation for the formulation of differentiated economic high-quality development policies in China’s coastal areas.

Understanding the potential of taxi sharing: The case of Chengdu

The emergence of taxi sharing enhances urban transport efficiency and reduces carbon emissions. Using GPS tracking data from taxis in Chengdu, China, this study first outlines conditions for identifying shareable taxi orders based on their origins and destinations. We then develop a three-phase computational model to optimize matches among all potential shareable orders, calculating the shareable mileage and the proportion of original mileage that could be shared. Our comprehensive temporal and spatial analysis reveal a significant market for taxi sharing in Chengdu, with higher potential on workdays than non-workdays and four distinct demand peaks throughout the day. The morning peak on workdays and the night peak on non-workdays are particularly pronounced. Most shareable orders originate within major city districts. We find a positive correlation between the potential of taxi sharing and average traffic speed, and negative correlations with order volume, regional economic development, and population density. Functional zones related to Enterprises, Motorcycle Services, and Transportation Services exhibit significantly higher sharing potential. Compared to traditional taxi operations, taxi sharing significantly reduces total travel mileage. This quantitative analysis offers insights into the potential demand for taxi sharing among urban residents and may help government authorities optimize taxi resources for the sustainable development of urban transport.

How Social Networks Affect Farmers’ Willingness to Withdraw from Homesteads: Evidence from Jiangsu Province, China

The orderly withdrawal from rural homesteads is an important path for the smooth promotion of rural revitalization and new urbanization. This study aims to explore the influence and mechanism of social networks on the willingness of farm households to withdraw from homesteads. The study is based on a sample of 1971 farmer households in Jiangsu Province and analyzes the data using the logit model and mediation effect model. The results show that the social network has a significant positive effect on farmers’ willingness to withdraw from homesteads. As the social network expands, the probability for forming the willingness to withdraw from the homestead is higher for farmers with weaker social networks. In addition, the effect of social networks is different according to the level of regional economic development. The mechanism analysis suggests that social networks can indirectly increase the willingness to withdraw from homesteads by improving farmers’ risk resilience. Based on these findings, this study puts forward targeted policy recommendations: focusing on the cultivation and enhancement of farmers’ social networks, strengthening farmers’ risk resilience, and designing differentiated homestead exit policies.

Land-Use Transitions Impact the Ecosystem Services Value in a Coastal Region by Coupling the Geo-Informatic Tupu and Benefit-Transfer Method: The Case of Ningde City, China

Exploring the mechanisms and processes of land-use transitions (LUTs) and their impact on ecosystem services can effectively elucidate the intricate interactions between human and natural systems, which is pivotal for advancing the sustainable development of regional economies and enhancing ecological environments. However, the existing literature lacks comprehensive analysis regarding the spatial and temporal evolution of LUTs, with insufficient integration of the “spatial pattern” and “time process”. Moreover, traditional assessments of the ecosystem services value (ESV) often overlook their negative costs. To address these gaps, this study first utilized the Google Earth Engine (GEE) cloud platform and employed the random forest algorithm to conduct supervised classification on Landsat remote-sensing images from the years 2000, 2010, and 2020 within the research area, thereby obtaining land-use data for three distinct periods. And then, we investigated the geographic features of LUTs and their ecological effects in the Ningde City of China from 2000 to 2020. The geo-informatic Tupu model and a newly revised method of benefit transfer were primarily employed for this purpose. The findings indicate the following: (1) Over the study period, the land-use structure of Ningde City predominantly comprised cultivated land and forest land, with continuous decreases in both types and a concurrent increase in built-up land. (2) Significant disparities exist in the spatial distribution of Tupu units, notably with “forest land → cultivated land” and “cultivated land → built-up land” as crucial units influencing ESV changes. (3) The ESV in Ningde City decreased from CNY 1105.54 × 108 to CNY 1020.47 × 108 over 2000–2020, while the ecosystem dis-services value exhibited an opposing trend, rising from CNY 12.68 × 108 to CNY 20.39 × 108. (4) The net ESV in Ningde City showed a decline over the same period, indicating a certain vulnerability in the city’s ecological system structure. This study aims to enhance our understanding of the influence of land-use patterns on ESV, offering valuable insights for regional ecological–environment management and land-use policy formulation, thereby fostering sustainable development in ecological, environmental, and socio-economic dimensions. Furthermore, the results serve as a reference for evaluating net ecosystem services value in other countries/regions.

The heterogeneous air pollution response to shrunk socio-economic activities in 28 major northern cities of China

Heterogeneity in air quality response to implemented measures is apparent in many studies, yet the role of regional socio-economic features in the response mechanism remains unclear. This study uses empirical method to identify the direct impact of socio-economic factors on the response to interventions of economy. We constructed a counterfactual model using machine learning methods to quantitatively assess dynamic changes in air pollution based on multiple socio-economic drivers. We find that economy interventions have indeed had an apparent but temporary impact on air quality in northern China. NO2 concentrations decreased by 45.98%, 22.81%, and 0.2%, respectively, at different policy stages, while PM2.5 decreased by 38.66%, 21.63%, and 3.62%, respectively, on average. In contrast, O3 increased by 18.62% and then returned to normal levels. We also find the heterogeneous effect of air pollutants on human activity restrictions in cities with hierarchical socio-economic backgrounds. Highly industrialized cities face greater difficulties in reducing emissions, and cities with a higher urbanization rate may have a more urgent need to take action on O3 governance. Factors such as regional economic development level, industrial structure and urbanization should be considered as important indicators in the development of hierarchical environmental control policies. Our results shed light on the dynamic changes in air pollution due to reduced socio-economic activities, and the heterogeneity between cities should be taken into account when formulating future policies in response to major events and climate change.