Upgrading Of Industrial Structure Research Articles

The road to inclusive green growth in China: Exploring the impact of digital-real economy integration on carbon emission efficiency

With the emergence of digital transformation, China confronts the dual challenge of fostering sustainable economic and social development while fulfilling its "dual-carbon" commitments. Is the digital-real economy integration a blessing or a curse for inclusive green development? The study was conducted under this backdrop. This paper explores the impacts and mechanisms of digital-real economy integration on carbon emission efficiency, utilizing panel data from 274 Chinese cities over the period from 2011 to 2021. The results indicate that this profound integration significantly enhances urban carbon emission efficiency, although this relationship is partially mediated by industrial structure upgrading. Additionally, natural resources dependence may compromise efficiency gains, exhibiting varying effects across different contexts. The impact of digital-real economy integration on carbon efficiency (Cee) manifests as a non-linear U-shaped relationship that intensifies with increased integration. Heterogeneity analysis reveals that major, eastern, coastal, and resource-scarce cities experience the most profound benefits. These findings highlight the urgency of advancing digital carbon neutrality and offer strategies for emerging economies to transcend traditional constraints, thereby achieving green economic recovery and inclusive development.

Identifying the antecedents for the green transformation of resource-exhausted cities in China

To address the issue of green transformation in resource-exhausted cities, this study employs the Policy Modeling Consistency (PMC) index model to carry out a comprehensive analysis of the effectiveness of support policies execution at both central and local levels, covering 16 policies at the different administrative levels. Meanwhile, utilizing the fuzzy-set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (fsQCA) method, the study investigates the interaction mechanisms and effects of various internal and external factors in the context of policy coordination, from the perspective of green transformation condition configurations. The findings reveal that the overall effect of supporting policies for resource-exhausted cities in China is generally commendable. Moreover, there is a notable characteristic that “the lower the administrative level, the higher the quality of the support policies”. Notably, organizational, technological, environmental, and policy conditions alone cannot solely facilitate the green transition of resource-exhausted cities. Instead, it is the harmonious configuration of these antecedents that drives successful green transformation. Additionally, the configuration of antecedent conditions for green transformation exhibits the heterogeneity of different types. Specifically, the eastern region primarily relies on technological innovation and production process improvement, while the central region focuses on both production process improvement and support policy combinations. By contrast, the western region primarily emphasizes support policy combinations and the fostering of environmental conditions. Furthermore, the green transformation of resource-exhausted cities with coal and oil types mainly depends on the combination of policy support and technological innovation. Metal, forestry, and other types of resource-exhausted cities rely on the upgrading and advancement of industrial structures. In the grouped analysis of administrative level, innovation capability, and distance to the provincial capital city, cities with higher administrative levels, higher innovation capabilities, and closer proximity to the provincial capital city are more likely to achieve green transformation. Thereby, this study emphasizes the critical role of support policies and the identification of effective pathways in promoting the green transformation of resource-exhausted cities.

The spatial spillover impact of artificial intelligence on energy efficiency: Empirical evidence from 278 Chinese cities

Within the framework of global sustainable development, improving energy efficiency (EE) is recognized as a crucial strategy to address environmental challenges and foster economic growth. This research employs the Spatial Durbin Model to investigate the spatial spillover effects of advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) technology on EE across 278 Chinese cities. The analysis reveals several key findings: first, the advancement of AI technology significantly enhances urban EE and generates a positive spatial spillover effect across different spatial weight matrices; second, there is a nonlinear, inverted U-shaped relationship between AI levels and urban EE; third, industrial structure upgrades play a significant moderating role in the impact of AI technology on urban EE. These insights not only illuminate the complex role of AI in improving regional EE but also provide critical recommendations for policymakers aiming to enhance urban EE and achieve sustainable development goals.

Promoting Cultural Industry Management in the Context of a Green Ecological Environment

The green cultural industry is a key driving force for economic transformation and the upgrading of industrial structures. However, to achieve its development while protecting the environment, its influencing factors and the interactive relationship between the economy and the environment must be considered. This paper examines the environmental promotion effect of the green cultural industry by analyzing the interaction mechanism among these three elements, using the entropy method and coupling coordination model. The results show that the green cultural industry can develop cultural resources in line with national cultural characteristics, foster cultural innovation, promote economic growth, and reduce ecological resource consumption. At the same time, economic improvement enhances infrastructure, provides services to support the cultural industry, strengthens environmental protection, and improves ecological carrying capacity, offering greater resource support for cultural industry development.

Job destruction or job creation?: Evidence from carbon emission trading policies

Based on the panel data of 285 cities in China from 2007 to 2019, this paper constructs a theoretical framework to analyze the employment effect of carbon emission trading policy, and quantitatively evaluates the effectiveness, decomposition effect and influence mechanism of carbon emission trading policy on employment based on PSM-DID method. The study shows that the carbon emissions trading policy has a positive impact on the level of urban employment while producing significant environmental governance effects, and that its positive impact on employment in the pilot cities stems from the negative effect of reducing employment destruction rather than from the positive effect of increasing the job-creating effect. Carbon emissions trading policy promotes employment in the pilot cities through structural transformation effects, specifically through the three paths of green technology innovation, energy structure optimization and industrial structure upgrading. At the same time, the impact of the policy on employment varies significantly across cities of different locations, sizes and resource endowments. The study proposes that the construction of the national carbon market should be accelerated, a market-oriented green technology innovation system should be constructed, the optimization of the energy structure and the upgrading of the industrial structure should be promoted, and training in employment skills should be strengthened. The theoretical analysis of this study provides a theoretical basis for the micro-mechanism of carbon emissions trading policy, and the empirical results provide practical reference for the change of employment structure and the high-quality development of employment.

Impact and mechanisms of high-speed rail construction on carbon emissions: A quasi-natural experiment in China

Carbon emissions present a significant climate challenge for China. As a major source of these emissions, reducing transportation-related carbon output is essential to achieving the country's dual carbon goals. In this context, high-speed rail (HSR) emerges as a green, low-carbon alternative with an increasingly significant role in reducing carbon emissions. This paper explores the impact of HSR station construction on carbon emissions using data from 248 prefecture-level cities from 2003 to 2019, treating the construction as a quasi-natural experiment. Employing a spatial DID model, the research investigates how HSR construction affects carbon emission intensity within the region and in neighboring areas. It also considers socioeconomic factors to understand their mediating roles. The findings reveal that HSR construction significantly reduces regional carbon emissions over time, with long-term and gradually increasing effects. Spatially, HSR also has substantial spillover effects in reducing carbon emissions in adjacent regions. Numerically, HSR reduces carbon emissions by an average of 1.7% in the local region and 2.3% in the surrounding areas. The mechanism analysis indicates that the carbon reduction benefits of HSR stem from a complex interplay of multiple factors, with each selected factor playing a partial mediating role. Notably, the concentration of human capital and the flow of innovation are crucial pathways for regional carbon reduction. However, despite HSR's promotion of industrial structure upgrades and substitution of traditional transportation, these factors have not yet significantly contributed to carbon reduction under current conditions. These results underscore the critical position of HSR in carbon reduction and provide a theoretical foundation for future HSR planning and sustainable development policy formulation.

Research on the Mechanism of Digital Economys Impact on Regional Industrial Structure Upgrading: A Case Study of Shenzhen

The digital economy, as an integrated economy, has become the driving force behind economic growth in various regions, fueling economic transformation and upgrading and serving as the focal point of industrial competition. Shenzhen, as a major first-tier city and a pilot demonstration area for socialism with Chinese characteristics, is taken as an example in this study. By exploring the mechanisms through which the digital economy impacts the upgrading of regional industrial structures, this paper analyzes how the digital economy promotes regional industrial transformation and upgrading through technological innovation, industrial integration, and market competition. It also discusses the existing problems and challenges, and proposes corresponding policy recommendations in areas such as talent cultivation, improving social welfare, and supporting enterprises to better leverage the role of the digital economy in upgrading the regional industrial structure. These efforts aim to ensure the sustainable development of Shenzhens economy, making the new engine more powerful in leading development, creating jobs, supporting international competition, and driving Shenzhens economic and social progress toward high quality.

Digital Economy and Industrial Structure Transformation: Mechanisms for High-Quality Development in China’s Agriculture and Rural Areas

The digital economy’s transformative impact on agriculture presents both opportunities and challenges for China’s pursuit of high-quality agricultural and rural development. This study investigates the complex interplay between digital economy, industrial structure transformation, and agricultural advancement using panel data from 31 Chinese provinces spanning 2012–2021. We employed mediation analysis and threshold effect models to uncover several key findings: (1) The digital economy influences high-quality agricultural and rural development through the dual-mediating mechanisms of industrial structure intensification and upgrading in China. (2) These mediating effects exhibit heterogeneous patterns: while industrial intensification positively channels the digital economy’s impact, industrial upgrading shows an initial negative indirect effect, suggesting potential short-term disruptions. (3) The relationship between digital economy and agricultural development is nonlinear, characterized by significant threshold effects. The digital economy’s positive impact becomes more pronounced as industrial structure surpasses certain sophistication and advancement thresholds. Our findings reveal the nuanced dynamics of digital-driven agricultural transformation, highlighting the need for targeted policies that leverage industrial-structure changes while mitigating potential adverse effects. This research contributes to a more comprehensive understanding of how digitalization can be harnessed to promote sustainable and high-quality agricultural and rural development in China, with implications for other developing economies navigating similar transitions.

Driving economic transition: The impact of cross-border e-commerce policy on the upgrading of service industry structure

Cross-border e-commerce, as an innovative format and model of international trade, plays a crucial role in accelerating the transformation and upgrading of industrial structures, and shaping a modern economic framework. Using panel data from 260 prefecture-level cities in China from 2003 to 2019, this study investigates the impact of the cross-border e-commerce comprehensive pilot area (CBECCPA) policy on the upgrading of service industry structure and its mechanisms using the staggered difference-in-differences (DID) method. The results show that the CBECCPA policy can significantly promote the upgrading of service industry structure. The mechanism analysis reveals that the CBECCPA policy can promote the upgrading of service industry structure by clustering service industry enterprises, bolstering urban innovation, and increasing the scale of trade. Heterogeneity analysis indicates that the impact of the CBECCPA policy on the information transmission, software, and information technology service industry is more pronounced and the policy effect is stronger for those with a lower level of service industry structure and for pilot areas with higher levels of development, developmental foundation, developmental scale, and developmental innovation. Furthermore, the policy effect varies significantly across cities. This study provides empirical evidence and policy insights into the role of the CBECCPA in the upgrading of service industry structure.

Rethinking the Effects of Smart City Implementation on Industrial Structure Change

Understanding the relationship between smart city implementation (SCI) and industrial structure change is necessary for improving SCI and achieving high-quality development of the urban economy. This study aims to comprehensively investigate how the two core SCI investments—information and communication technology (ICT) infrastructure and human capital—influence industrial structure. To this end, both SCI investments are measured using composite indexes calculated by the vertical and horizontal scatter degree method, and spatial panel models are applied using data from 156 smart cities in China from 2013 to 2019, classified according to their economic development level and population density. The results show that industrial structure upgrading produces positive spatial spillover effects and that the impacts of SCI investments on industrial structure change vary in different city classifications. Overall, ICT infrastructure promotes the upgrading of industrial structure, while human capital hinders industrial development due to human capital mismatch. Mechanism analysis shows that SCI investments can influence industrial structure through technological innovation and consumption upgrading. Moreover, policy implications are proposed to promote industrial structure upgrading for effective future SCI.

Transitioning to Green Economic Growth in China: Green Finance and the Mediator of Industrial Structure Upgrading

Transitioning to Green Economic Growth in China: Green Finance and the Mediator of Industrial Structure Upgrading

Study on the influence of global tourism development on the upgrading of county industrial structure

Taking the global tourism as an important grasp, promoting the tourism to the industrial structure optimization and economic development of the driving force, is conducive to the high-quality development of China's county economy. Based on the panel data of 255 demonstration counties of global tourism in 30 provinces in China from 2012 to 2020, and on the basis of analyzing the correlation between the two, this paper empirically tests the relationship between the development of global tourism and the upgrading of county industrial structure by using static panel model and systematic GMM estimation method. It is found that the development of global tourism has a positive and significant impact on the upgrading of county industrial structure, and there are significant differences in this effect between the eastern, central and western regions of China. Therefore, this paper puts forward some countermeasures and suggestions to promote the upgrading of county industrial structure through the development of global tourism.

Synergistic impact of digital finance and urban agglomeration policy on carbon emission reduction

This study employs a sample of 283 Chinese cities in 2005−2021 to investigate how digital finance (DIF) promotes low-carbon development from an urban agglomeration (UA) perspective. The moderated mediation and multiperiod difference-in-differences models are utilized to explore DIF’s potential carbon emission reduction paths and the moderation mechanism of UA policies. This research yields some valuable and robust conclusions. First, DIF and UA policies promote carbon emission reduction with noticeable regional variations. Second, green technology innovation (GTI) and industrial structure upgrading (ISU) play a crucial negative mediating role in the impact of DIF on carbon intensity. Third, UA policies have further enhanced the carbon emission reduction capabilities of DIF, GTI, and ISU. Fourth, UA policies enhance their role when DIF positively fosters GTI but does not exhibit a moderating effect when DIF positively facilitates ISU.

New energy policy and new quality productive forces: A quasi-natural experiment based on demonstration cities

The impact of new energy policy on the new quality productive forces (NQPF) in developing countries still lacks empirical evidence. The new energy demonstration city policy (NEDCP), serving as a comprehensive energy strategy in China, holds significant importance in driving the transformation of energy structures and fostering the NQPF. Based on the panel data collected from 276 Chinese cities, this study employs the difference-in-differences approach to examine the impact of the NEDCP on the NQPF. The findings indicate a substantial enhancement in the NQPF as a result of the NEDCP. While the NEDCP has a short-term effect on the NQPF, the long-term effect is insignificant. When considering the removal of low-carbon city variables, the influence of NEDCP was significantly improved. The NEDCP indirectly improves the NQPF through urban innovation capacity, government fiscal support, and industrial structure upgrading. The human capital level positively moderates the NEDCP's effect on the NQPF. In contrast to cities reliant on natural resources, the NEDCP exhibits a significantly greater influence on augmenting the NQPF in cities that are not dependent on such resources. Cities with higher urbanization levels experience a more substantial positive impact on the NQPF from the NEDCP compared to cities with lower urbanization levels. Our findings have important theoretical significance and can provide practical guidance to help developing countries improve NQPF through new energy policies.

The impact of public fiscal expenditure on industrial transformation and upgrading: An inverted U-shape evidence from China

High-quality economic development relies on industrial transformation and upgrading. To promote industrial transformation and upgrading, efficient fiscal expenditures are undoubtedly important as pillars of national governance. However, in the context of the market economy, the government's excessive intervention in industrial development will lead to the "promotion tournament" of officials and the "beggar-thy-neighbor" local protectionism, resulting in the convergence of regional industrial structure, which will bring uncertain impact on the upgrading of regional industrial structure. Thus, this study empirically assesses how public fiscal expenditure impacts industrial transformation and upgrading as well as the mechanism by developing a spatial econometric model using the panel data of 250 Chinese cities from 2007 to 2020 and further discusses the differential impact from the perspective of urban scale. The findings disclose that public fiscal expenditure serves a crucial role in facilitating industrial transformation and upgrading, but their relationship resembles an inverted U. Therefore, an optimal scale of public fiscal expenditure exists. Heterogeneity findings reveal that the promoting effect of public fiscal expenditure on industrial transformation and upgrading decreases with the expansion of the city scale. The role mechanism implies that public fiscal expenditure indirectly leverages industrial transformation and upgrading through promoting technological innovation, reducing resource dependence, and expanding scale economies. The conclusion provides a theoretical and practical framework for the government to optimize public fiscal expenditure, promote the transformation and upgrading of China's industrial structure, and ultimately attain high-quality development.

How does technology finance promote the high-quality development of firms? Evidence from China

By constructing the provincial technology finance development index for China from 2011 to 2021 and aligning it with data from Chinese A-share listed companies, this paper empirically examines the effect of technology finance on the high-quality development of enterprises. The findings indicate that technology finance substantially boosts a firm's total factor productivity by alleviating financing constraints and fostering innovation. Furthermore, in regions with advanced industrial structure upgrades, technology finance demonstrates a more pronounced positive impact on enhancing a firm's total factor productivity. Additionally, compared to the central and eastern provinces of China, the positive effect is more significant in the western region.

Can low-carbon city pilot policy boost tourism development? Empirical evidence from China.

As an environmental regulatory tool in achieving green development, the low-carbon city pilot policy (LCCP) considerably influence tourism enhancement. Using China's 261 prefecture-level cities, this paper empirically delve the implication of LCCP to tourism from two tourism dimensions of tourism revenue and tourism arrivals employing the time-varying DID methodology. Results empirically reveal that the LCCP contributes to boosting tourism development, and after undergoing numerous robustness tests, this finding stands. The "arrivals growth effect" of LCCP is stronger than the "revenue improvement effect." Moreover, the impact of LCCP on domestic tourism is more profound than on inbound tourism. Heterogeneity analyses show the boosting impact is more pronounced in third-tier and above cities and non-resource-based cities. Upon further testing its transmission mechanism, we discover that the LCCP raises tourism revenues and arrival levels through industrial structural upgrading and innovation capacity improvement. The study clarifies the theoretical mechanisms and policy effects of LCCP on tourism development, which is valuable for assessing the tourism effects of LCCP and other environmental regulations and exploring the expanding path of sustainable tourism development.

Analysis of the Impact of RMB Exchange Rate Changes on the Upgrading of Chinese Industrial Structure

Analysis of the Impact of RMB Exchange Rate Changes on the Upgrading of Chinese Industrial Structure

Implementation Effect, Long-Term Mechanisms, and Industrial Upgrading of the Low-Carbon City Pilot Policy: An Empirical Study Based on City-Level Panel Data from China

The green, low-carbon transition is a broad and profound change. The low-carbon city pilot policy (LCCP) is one of the most important strategies in China, aimed at dealing with climate change and realizing the green, low-carbon transition. Therefore, a quantitative evaluation of the implementation effect of the pilot policy is conducive to better promoting low-carbon work in the pilot areas. Based on 283 cities in China from 2005 to 2021, this paper constructs a double-difference model to empirically test the implementation effect, long-term mechanisms, and industrial upgrading of the pilot policy. The results show that the LCCP significantly promotes high-quality economic development and employment stability. After a series of robustness and endogenic tests, the conclusions in this study are still valid. Further analysis of the findings in this paper shows that the pilot programs promote the optimization and upgrading of industrial structures. The mediating effect shows that the LCCP has established three long-term mechanisms: developing alternative industries, expanding the level of openness, and promoting innovation. The heterogeneity analysis shows that the pilot policy’s implementation effect is more significant in cities located in central and western regions, as well as in non-resource-based cities. This study proposes the continuation of the promotion and implementation of the pilot policy, an increase in financial funds and policy support, the need to strengthen the labor market’s adaptability and protection mechanisms, the adaptation to local conditions to promote policy implementation, and the need to step up efforts to publicize pilot policies.

Digital Inclusive Finance Supports the Modernization of Agriculture Development

In the process of financial development, the high threshold and credit asymmetry not only increase the difficulty and cost of financing in rural agriculture, but also hinder the upgrading of agricultural industrial structure and delay the development of agricultural modernization. With the development of information technology and the wide application of big data, digital inclusive finance has become an important path and inevitable choice to promote the upgrading and modernization of China's agricultural industrial structure. The project intends to use the entropy method to measure the development level of agricultural modernization; Based on the two-way fixed effect model, the paper explores the effect of digital inclusive finance on agricultural modernization. With the help of the intermediary effect model, this paper explores the internal mechanism of the influence of the digital inclusive financial policy on the development of rural modernization from the level of "the upgrading of agricultural industrial structure". Based on the empirical results, this paper analyzes the heterogeneity of the effects of digital financial inclusion policies from the two dimensions of rural location and rural characteristics, and explores an effective path to promote digital financial inclusion and industrial upgrading in rural areas with prominent internal differences, with a view to providing reference and basis for the formulation and implementation of future digital financial inclusion and agricultural modernization development policies.