Regional Economic Development Level Research Articles

Does Environmental Regulation Affect Circular Economy Performance? A Case from China

Environmental regulation is an important means to solve the environmental pollution challenges faced by economic development. Under the predicament of economic growth facing enormous environmental challenges, this paper aims to explore whether environmental regulation has a promoting effect on the circular economy performance, construct the mechanism through which environmental regulation impacts circular economy performance, as well as test regional heterogeneity on the impact of environmental regulation on circular economy performance under different levels of economic development. Exploring these factors is of great significance for meeting people’s demand for better living environments and promoting green and sustainable economic development. This paper takes interprovincial panel data of China from 2011 to 2022 as the sample and adopts structural equation modeling to explore the influence mechanism of environmental regulation on circular economy performance by constructing a measurement system of environmental regulation and circular economy performance. The results indicate the following: environmental regulation has a significant role in promoting circular economy performance, and there is a partial mediating effect of industrial structure upgrading within it; heterogeneity analysis shows that the promoting effect of environmental regulation on circular economy performance varies according to the different levels of regional economic development. Therefore, environmental regulation policies should be moderately adjusted to promote balanced economic and environmental development; environmental regulation policies should be enriched to promote industrial structure transformation and upgrading; regional synergistic governance should be improved to facilitate the promotion of the circular economy.

The impact of urbanization on food security in China

Against the background of urbanization's rapid development in China from 1984 to 2020, this research evaluates the mechanisms of its impact and food security by constructing a comprehensive evaluation index system for regional food security and verifying urbanization's spatial spillover effect on such security. We present the following findings. (1) A greater level of urbanization has a clear spatial effect on improving the level of food security in China. (2) Urbanization development plays a vital role in advancing local food security and at the same time has a greater negative impact on expanding surrounding food security. (3) The spatial spillover effects of urbanization on food security vary greatly, often according to different levels of regional economic development and natural geographic settings. This paper offers recommendations for controlling regional urbanization development, improving the radiation-driven role of urbanization, and implementing differentiated regional policies.

Research of multimodal transport potential of major cities in China based on the satellite remote sensing

Abstract. By two or more modes of transportation to connect with each other and complete the transport process, multimodal transport could significantly improve transport efficiency, reduce costs, while promote energy conservation and emission reduction, compared with the traditional single mode of transport. Therefore, the multimodal transport development reflects the level of national or regional economic development to some extent. In this study, multimodal transport potential index was built to evaluate the possibility of multimodal transport. Remote sensing images from satellites were used to extract roads, railway stations and airports. A method was proposed to derive the road-rail transport potential index and road-air transport potential index, and then for the analysis of multimodal transport potential in 36 cities. Results show that there is a big gap among 36 cities on the development potential of road-rail and road-air transport. Compared with the road-rail transport potential index, the distribution of road-air transport potential index is more consistent among and within the seven regions. Index values of megacity and super cities are much higher than type I and II big cities. Moreover, in the 36 cities, there is a positive correlation between the multimodal transport potential index and GDP. The research results could be used to quantitatively evaluate the development of transport infrastructure, consequently provide more solid and reliable basic information for the planning, design and scheme adjustment of multimodal transport, thus comprehensively improve the efficiency and quality of multimodal transport, serve the territorial spatial planning.

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.

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.

Correlation Analysis Between Regional Economic Development Level and Residents' Quality of Life: A Case Study Based on Economic Data

Correlation Analysis Between Regional Economic Development Level and Residents' Quality of Life: A Case Study Based on Economic Data

Coupling and Coordination Relationship of Economic–Social–Natural Composite Ecosystem in Central Yunnan Urban Agglomeration

Exploring the spatio-temporal differentiation characteristics and coupling coordination relationship of the composite ecosystem of urban agglomerations is of great significance for promoting the synergistic sustainable development and integration construction of urban agglomerations. This paper is based on LUCC (Land Use and Land Cover Change) data, a DEM (Digital Elevation Model), and temperature, precipitation, and other multi-source data, using the central Yunnan urban agglomeration as an example and constructing a multi-dimensional evaluation index system highlighting development quality and efficiency. The entropy weight method was first used to determine the comprehensive weights to evaluate the regional economic and social development level. Then, the InVEST (Integrated Valuation of Ecosystem Services and Trade-offs) model was used to quantitatively calculate and analyze the spatial and temporal evolution characteristics of the four key ecosystem services, evaluating the spatio-temporal evolution characteristics of the natural subsystem. The coupling coordination model was used to quantitatively analyze the evolution of the coupling coordination of the composite ecosystems in the central Yunnan urban agglomeration during the period of 2010–2020, and to reveal its development law. The results show the following: ➀ During the study period, the socio-economic subsystems in the central Yunnan urban agglomeration demonstrated an outward radiative growth from Kunming City, marked by underdeveloped sub-centers and prevalent low-level areas. ② Trends in ecosystem services varied, with water and soil conservation showing fluctuating increases, carbon sequestration remaining stable, and habitat quality declining. The critically important integrated ecosystem services zone of the natural subsystem is mainly located in the northeastern region and southwestern edge of the study area. ③ In 2020, the coupling coordination degree of the composite ecosystem was 0.9492. This showed that economic, social, and ecological subsystems are highly coupled, with consistent overall development trends and strong interactions. ④ The increase in the degree of harmonization amounted to 7.82%, with lagging subsystems varying in the degree of harmonization in subregions. This study can provide a scientific foundation for the development of policies for the Central Yunnan urban agglomeration, promoting regional sustainable development and optimizing the spatial pattern of the national territory.

Contamination Characteristics and Ecological Risk Assessment of Pharmaceuticals and Personal Care Products in Drains Flowing into the Yellow River of Ningxia

Pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) are a group of emerging contaminants causing detrimental effects on aquatic living organisms even at low doses. To investigate the contamination characteristics and ecological risks of PPCPs in drains flowing into the Yellow River of Ningxia, 21 PPCPs were detected and analyzed using solid phase extraction and ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry in this study. All 21 targeted compounds were detected in the drains, with total concentrations ranging from 47.52 to 1 700.96 ng·L-1. Ciprofloxacin, acetaminophen, benzophenone-3, and diethyltoluamide were the more commonly detected compounds, with detection frequencies exceeding 80%. The five highest-concentration PPCPs were acetaminophen, diethyltoluamide, caffeine, benzophenone-3, and levofloxacin, with the maximum concentrations of 597.21, 563.23, 559.00, 477.28, and 473.07 ng·L-1, respectively. Spatial analysis showed that the pollution levels of PPCPs in the drains of the four cities were different, with average concentrations of ∑PPCPs in the order of Yinchuan>Shizuishan>Wuzhong>Zhongwei. The total concentration of PPCPs before flowing into the Yellow River ranged from 124.82 to 1 046.61 ng·L-1. Source analysis showed that livestock and poultry breeding wastewater was the primary source for sulfadiazine and oxytetracycline, whereas medical wastewater was the primary source for levofloxacin and ciprofloxacin. The primary sources of triclocarban and triclosan were domestic sewage and industrial wastewater, whereas the primary source of caffeine and diethyltoluamide was domestic sewage. The pollution of diciofenac, cimetidine, triclocarban, and triclosan in the drains was positively correlated with the regional population and economic development level. The ecological risk assessment indicated that levofloxacin, diclofenac, gemfibrozil, benzophenone-3, and triclocarban posed high risks to aquatic organisms in drains flowing into the Yellow River. It is worthwhile to consider the mixture risk of the PPCPs that exhibited high risk at most sampling sites.

Research on the Impact of China's Import and Export Trade on Carbon Emission under the Perspective of Carbon Emission Reduction ——Empirical Evidence Based on Provincial Panel Data

With the development of economic globalization, China's import and export trade with other countries around the world has become increasingly frequent. However, the huge energy gap has led to serious environmental pollution problems in China, and how to realize sustainable development has become an important issue. Therefore, based on the research of scholars at home and abroad, this paper utilizes the panel data of 30 provinces and cities from 2012 to 2021 as well as the method of multiple stepwise regression to study the influencing factors of carbon emissions in China. The results show that China has achieved some success in improving the level of regional economic development, transitioning from traditional finance to green finance, and improving the level of scientific and technological development, which can effectively curb the growth of carbon emissions; however, the total amount of import and export trade, the level of advanced industrial structure, and the energy structure are still the key factors hindering the cause of carbon emission reduction.

Exploring factors influencing farmers’ health self-assessment in China based on the LASSO method

As the main force and practice subject of rural revitalisation, farmers' health is intricately linked to agricultural production and the rural economy. This study utilizes open data from the 2015 China Nutrition and Health Survey and employs the Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator (LASSO) method to explore the factors influencing farmers' self-assessment of health. The findings reveal that education level, proactive nutrition knowledge seeking, healthy dietary preferences and habits, and the use of clean cooking fuel positively impact farmers' health self-assessment. Conversely, age, history of illness or injury, and participation in medical insurance negatively affect their self-assessment. Furthermore, factors influencing farmers' health self-assessment exhibit heterogeneity across regions. Our findings suggest that promoting health education, disseminating nutritional dietary knowledge, and enhancing rural household infrastructure play an important role in improving farmers' self-evaluation of health. Therefore, policymakers should design more targeted health interventions and infrastructure improvement plans based on farmers' self-assessment of health and the level of regional economic development.

A Study on the Measurement of Regional Energy Consumption Efficiency and Decomposition of Its Influencing Factors in China: New Evidence for Achieving SDGs

With the growth of global population and economic development, people are facing the problem of increasing scarcity of renewable energy and unsustainable energy use. To achieve the sustainable development goals (SDGs) proposed by the United Nations, research on energy consumption efficiency has become particularly important. This research evaluates the energy consumption efficiency of 270 cities in China through an improved EBM model and finds a common phenomenon of low energy consumption efficiency in the cities, with the highest efficiency in northeast China and the lowest efficiency in eastern China. In addition, the efficiency of industrial exhaust emissions most significantly positively correlates with the efficiency of employed population and total energy consumption efficiency, while the efficiency of regional GDP does not significantly correlate with the efficiency of the two input variables. Using the LMDI method to decompose the driving factors of energy consumption efficiency in the cities, we find that the most important factor affecting energy consumption efficiency is their own energy endowment. Therefore, to improve the energy consumption efficiency of its cities, the China government should comprehensively consider factors such as regional economic development level, industrial structure, and technological level differences, formulate relevant energy-saving and emission-reduction policies, focus on optimizing the energy consumption structure, encourage technological progress and innovation, and help increase investment in science and technology.

Can information technology construction alleviate household energy poverty? Empirical evidence from the “broadband China” Pilot Policy

Energy poverty poses a significant challenge to global sustainable development. With the rapid advancement of information technology, understanding its role in alleviating energy poverty holds great practical significance. This paper conducts a case study of the “Broadband China” pilot policy implemented by the Chinese government and utilizes panel data from the China Family Panel Studies (CFPS) over the 2012–2018 period. In a difference-in-differences framework, we empirically investigate the alleviation effects of information technology construction on household energy poverty and its underlying mechanisms. The main findings indicate that (1) information technology construction significantly alleviates household energy poverty and demonstrates a sustained alleviation effect. These results remain valid after a series of robustness tests. (2) Heterogeneity analysis suggests that factors such as the regional economic development level and geographical location distribution can cause varying impacts of information technology on alleviating energy poverty. (3) Mechanism analysis reveals that information technology construction can alleviate household energy poverty through two potential channels: raising residents’ income levels and enhancing their environmental awareness. The conclusions of this paper provide valuable insights into leveraging information technology construction to alleviate energy poverty.

Dynamic evolution and spatial difference of public health service supply in economically developed provinces of China: typical evidence from Guangdong Province

ObjectiveThe outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has drawn attention from all sectors of society to the level of public health services. This study aims to investigate the level of public health service supply in the four major regions of Guangdong Province, providing a basis for optimizing health resource allocation.MethodsThis article uses the entropy method and panel data of 21 prefecture-level cities in Guangdong Province from 2005 to 2021 to construct the evaluation index system of public health service supply and calculate its supply index. On this basis, the standard deviation ellipse method, kernel density estimation, and Markov chain are used to analyze the spatiotemporal evolution trend of the public health service supply level in Guangdong Province. The Dagum Gini coefficient and panel regression model are further used to analyze the relative differences and the key influencing factors of difference formation. Finally, the threshold effect model is used to explore the action mechanism of the key factors.ResultsOverall, the level of public health service supply in Guangdong Province is on an upward trend. Among them, polarization and gradient effects are observed in the Pearl River Delta and Eastern Guangdong regions; the balance of public health service supply in Western Guangdong and Northern Mountainous areas has improved. During the observation period, the level of public health services in Guangdong Province shifted towards a higher level with a smaller probability of leapfrogging transition, and regions with a high level of supply demonstrated a positive spillover effect. The overall difference, intra-regional difference and inter-regional difference in the level of public health service supply in Guangdong Province during the observation period showed different evolutionary trends, and spatial differences still exist. These differences are more significantly positively affected by factors such as the level of regional economic development, the degree of fiscal decentralization, and the urbanization rate. Under different economic development threshold values, the degree of fiscal decentralization and urbanization rate both have a double threshold effect on the role of public health service supply level.ConclusionThe overall level of public health service supply in Guangdong Province has improved, but spatial differences still exist. Key factors influencing these differences include the level of regional economic development, the degree of fiscal decentralization, and the urbanization rate, all of which exhibit threshold effects. It is suggested that, in view of the actual situation of each region, efforts should be made to build and maintain their own advantages, enhance the spatial linkage of public health service supply, and consider the threshold effects of key factors in order to optimize the allocation of health resources.

The Heterogeneous Impact of Changes in the Age Structure of China’s Elderly Population on Regional Economic Development

Abstract Currently, the impact of population aging on economic development is mainly explored from the dimension of time, ignoring the Heterogeneity between the two. In this paper, we start by measuring the regional economic development level index, use the entropy value method to solve the index weights, and calculate the regional economic development level index using the linear weighting method. The regional development level index is used as an explanatory variable to construct the baseline regression model and the dynamic panel model for the change in the age structure of the elderly population. The panel data of 31 provinces (cities/autonomous regions) in China are used as examples to explore the heterogeneous effects of age structure changes on regional economic development of the elderly population. The results show that when the age structure change of the elderly population increases by 1%, the regional economic development level rises by 0.782%, and the age structure change of the elderly population is positively and significantly affecting the quality of economic development in the central and western regions at the 1% level. The regression coefficient of population aging in the low level stage is 0.007. The effect on the regional economic development level is significantly positive at the 1%. The age structure change of the elderly population affects the regional economic development by mediating health consumption expenditure. The age structure change of the elderly population has Heterogeneity in regional economic development in terms of period, region, and level at different stages.

The impact of green finance on carbon emission efficiency

Green finance plays a pivotal role in guiding and incentivizing private capital to invest in low-carbon industries and initiatives. This study utilizes data of Chinese cities from 2006 to 2022 to investigate the influence of green finance on carbon emission efficiency. The results show that green finance significantly contributes to enhancing carbon emission efficiency. The impact of green finance on carbon emission efficiency is subject to a dual threshold effect, which depends on the level of regional economic development. Regional innovation emerges as a vital channel through which green finance influences carbon emission efficacy. Moreover, the sensitivity of carbon emission efficiency to the green finance index shows an inverted U-shaped trend. Green support is most significant in green finance sub-dimensions. These findings provide valuable theoretical support for the role of green finance in fostering carbon efficiency improvement and provide essential insights for formulating effective policy strategies.

The effects of equalization of regional basic public services on multidimensional vulnerability: evidence from China

ABSTRACT Based on the four waves of micro panel data from the China Family Panel Studies (CFPS), this study uses a two-way fixed effect model to analyse the impact of equalization of regional basic public services on the multidimensional vulnerability of families and its mechanism. The main findings of this study are as follows, firstly, regional basic public services and its equalization can significantly alleviate the multidimensional vulnerability of families; Secondly, regional basic public services and its equalization can reduce the multidimensional vulnerability of families by improving the level of regional economic development; Thirdly, the impact of regional basic public services and its equalization on the multidimensional vulnerability of households vary significantly among different groups, urban and rural areas, and different regions.

Decomposition of agriculture-related non-CO2 greenhouse gas emissions in Chengdu: 1995–2020

Methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions originating from agricultural systems exert a significant influence on climate change. The exploration of potential driving factors and emission trends based on a city is important for policy-makers and land managers, however has been rarely known. We aim to investigate the potential driving factors behind five non-CO2 sources within Chengdu's agricultural sector spanning 1995 to 2020, including rice cultivation (CH4), agricultural land (N2O), manure management (CH4 and N2O), and enteric fermentation (CH4), and project non-carbon dioxide (CO2) greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in Chengdu's agricultural sector for the period from 2021 to 2035. The logarithmic mean Divisia index (LMDI) decomposition model was adopted to figure out the influencing factors, while Monte Carlo simulation and scenario analysis were applied to predict the agricultural non-CO2 GHG emissions from 2021 to 2035. Results reveal that non-CO2 GHG emissions from Chengdu's agriculture exhibit fluctuations and declines, with N2O emissions from agricultural land being the most substantial source. Driving actors such as emission intensity (EI), agricultural industrial structure (IS), and rural population (RP) contribute to carbon emission reductions, resulting in reductions of 8.10, 4.25, and 0.91 million tons (Mt), respectively. Conversely, the regional economic development level (EDL), and urbanization rate (URB) are the primary drivers behind increased agricultural non-CO2 GHG emissions, leading to emissions of 8.91 and 2.35 Mt, respectively. Ultimately, the predictive analysis demonstrates that, under the technological breakthrough scenario, Chengdu's agricultural non-CO2 GHG emissions are projected to peak in 2025, with an expected value of only 2.28 Mt. This study offered practical guidance for mitigating non-CO2 GHG emissions in city-level agriculture.

Digital transformation, intelligent device utilization, and carbon emission reduction

In the context of China's rapidly growing digital economy, exploring the potential to reduce carbon emissions from the perspective of enterprise digitization is of vital practical significance for achieving ambitious "carbon peak" and "carbon neutrality" goals. This paper uses data from A-share listed companies as a sample pool spanning the years 2014–2020 and finds that a nonlinear, inverted U-shaped relationship exists between enterprise digital transformation and carbon emissions. We further construct several robustness tests and show that the effect remains significant after accounting for the endogeneity issue using IV regressions. Heterogeneity analysis indicates that the effect of digital transformation on carbon emissions is influenced by the regional economic development level and the ownership structure of enterprises. Notably, in non-state-owned enterprises and economically advanced regions, the influence of digital transformation on carbon emissions becomes more pronounced. This paper provides explicit policy implications. It is suggested that enterprises accelerate their digital transformation by integrating smart device development into their production and operations and government should give support to digital transformation to facilitate industrial upgrading, and further promote China's pursuit of high-quality and sustainable economic development.

Innovative Paths of Modern Fiscal and Financial Systems to Assist the Coordinated Development of Regional Economy

Abstract The coupling and coupling coordination degree model is used in this paper to classify the coupling coordination degree level of industry and regional economic development. According to the correlation between the fiscal, taxation, and financial system and regional economic development, the coupling driving mechanism algorithm is selected to analyze the degree of assistance of the fiscal, taxation, and financial systems to the coordinated development of the regional economy. Taking the analysis of the Chongqing tourism industry and regional economic development level as an example, the coupling degree relationship between fiscal, tax and financial policies on regional economic development is analyzed according to the coupling coordination degree. The degree of financialization in the northern coastal economic zone is the highest at 4.4885, and the degree of financial deepening in the southern coastal integrated economic zone is 3.7621 lower than that in the northern region, but the coefficient of its β1′ is 0.0207, which indicates that it has a positive regulating effect on the development of the regional economy.

Recent Trend in the Prevalence and Correlates of Depression Among Chinese Young Adults from 2010 to 2018

As a result of globalization, Chinese young adults who transit to adulthood currently are being exposed to a combination of traditional Chinese values such as collectivism and Confucian philosophy, as well as Western individualism. We analyzed the trends in depression prevalence within an 8-year period using panel data derived from young adults in China. The investigation further delved into the multifaceted correlates of depression, including demographic profiles, health-related parameters, and consequential life events. Data were obtained from five cycles, 2010 to 2018, of the China Family Panel Studies (CFPS). Participants included adults aged 18 to 24 years (total analytic sample N = 15,442). Depression symptoms increased in prevalence in Chinese young adults over the eight years; therefore, depression screening should be regularly conducted in this demographic. This study highlights the issue’s gravity and suggests potential correlations with cultural, regional economic development level, gender, religion, hukou (household registration), lifestyle, chronic health conditions, on-going school attendance, and marital factors.