Upgrading Of Industrial Structure Research Articles

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.

Artificial Intelligence-Driven Regional Energy Transition:Evidence from China

As Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology advances rapidly, its role in promoting regional energy transformation is becoming increasingly apparent. This paper utilizes regional-level panel data from China, covering the period from 2011 to 2021, to systematically assess the impact of AI development on energy transformation. Using econometric models, including fixed-effects and instrumental variable regressions, the study reveals that an increase in AI enterprises within a region significantly reduces energy consumption per unit of GDP, thereby accelerating regional energy transition. The analysis identifies two primary channels through which AI exerts this effect: by facilitating the upgrading of the regional industrial structure and by promoting the growth of the digital economy. The findings also show that the impact of AI is more pronounced in highly urbanized regions, particularly in the Yangtze River Economic Belt. Additionally, the results highlight that AI-driven reductions in energy consumption are largely achieved through improved efficiency in coal and electricity usage, addressing key structural issues in China's energy landscape.

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.

The impact of financial resource allocation on industrial structure change

Financial resources play a vital role in resource allocation and industrial structure change. This paper aims to explore the impact of financial resource allocation on industrial structure change and put forward relevant theoretical and policy recommendations. This paper first reviews previous research results and explains the importance of financial resources in shaping industrial structure. Then, based on the theoretical framework, the impact mechanism of financial resources on the development and competitiveness of different industrial sectors is analyzed. The study found that the rational allocation of financial resources helps to promote the optimization and upgrading of industrial structure and improve overall economic benefits. The government's financial policies have also been proven to have an important impact on industrial structure change, and a healthy financial market can promote the sustainable development of industrial structure. Through case study analysis, the actual impact of financial resource allocation in different industries and regions is deeply explored to provide empirical support for the theoretical model. In summary, this study emphasizes the key role of financial resources in shaping the modern industrial structure and provides important inspiration for future research and policy making.

Research on the Development of Low Carbon Economy from the Perspective of Industrial Structure Adjustment

Anhui Province is currently in the late stage of industrialization, and economic transformation is urgent. To promote the upgrading of industrial structure and the development of green and low-carbon economy in Anhui Province, it is necessary to truly achieve the healthy and sustainable development of Anhui's economy. This study will first conduct theoretical analysis on the relationship between low-carbon economy and industrial structure, then describe and analyze the current situation of low-carbon economy and industrial structure in Anhui Province, and conduct empirical research on the development relationship between low-carbon economy and industrial structure in Anhui Province. Select two indicators of energy intensity (the ratio of gross domestic product to total energy consumption) and industrial structure upgrading degree (the ratio of value-added in the tertiary industry to value-added in the secondary industry) in Anhui Province from 2012 to 2022, and use cointegration and error correction models for empirical testing.

Exploring the path to promote energy revolution: Assessing the impact of new energy demonstration city construction on urban energy transition in China

Cities serve as the epicenter of energy consumption, and urban energy transition (UET) is a pivotal prerequisite for achieving carbon peaking and neutrality goals. Leveraging the quasi-natural experiment of China's New Energy Demonstration City Construction (NEDCC), this paper evaluates its impact on UET based on balanced panel data spanning 272 cities from 2006 to 2022. Employing the difference-in-differences model, our estimates underscore NEDCC's facilitative role in promoting UET, a finding corroborated by a series of robustness tests. Mechanism examinations reveal that NEDCC advances UET by enhancing government strategic guidance, fostering green technological innovation, promoting industrial structural upgrading, and optimizing resource allocation efficiency. Furthermore, in cities with higher administrative tiers and more advanced digital finance, NEDCC exerts a more pronounced effect on UET. Conversely, cities endowed with richer resources and pursuing more ambitious economic growth targets exhibit weaker responses to NEDCC's UET-boosting influence. Additionally, NEDCC's demonstration effect surpasses its diffusion effect on neighboring cities, generating a positive spatial spillover that propels their energy transitions. This study offers a novel policy lens for advancing UET.

Green innovation and natural resource efficiency: The role of environmental regulations and resource endowment in Chinese cities

Achieving natural resource utilization efficiency (NRUE) is a critical objective in addressing the pressing challenges of climate change and the risks associated with the finite availability of mineral resources. Enhancing NRUE can mitigate environmental impacts and support sustainable development for future generations. In this context, green innovation emerges as a pivotal driver of environmental sustainability and resource conservation. However, its potential role in advancing the NRUE has not been fully explored. To fill this gap, this study conducts an empirical analysis of 268 Chinese cities from 2010 to 2022, examining the impact of green innovation on NRUE. This study also incorporates the mediating role of environmental regulations in shaping this impact. The findings demonstrate that green innovation significantly enhances NRUE, primarily by facilitating industrial structural upgrading and reducing resource dependence. Additionally, environmental regulations strengthen the positive effects of green innovation, further amplifying its contribution to NRUE. Moreover, geographical location and differences in resource endowments among cities lead to variations in the effectiveness of green innovation on NRUE. These findings underscore the complex interplay between green technological progress, proactive government policies, and NRUE, offering valuable insights for policymakers and researchers alike.

Synergistic relationship between green finance and industrial structure upgrade in the yangtze river economic belt

Synergistic relationship between green finance and industrial structure upgrade in the yangtze river economic belt

Impact of energy saving and emission reduction policy: Empirical evidence from regional and local business in China

AbstractReducing energy intensity (EI) is essential to promoting sustainable development. The “National Energy Saving and Emission Reduction Comprehensive Demonstration Fiscal Policy” (ESERP) is the green fiscal policy adopted by China in an effort to maximize energy use and promote sustainable development. The paper analyzes the influence of ESERP on EI from regional and business standpoint. The results indicate that ESERP is effective in reducing EI, especially when it is implemented in noneastern, low administrative, and high urbanization cities. This policy effect is realized by promoting green technology innovation and enhancing industrial structural upgrading. However, ESERP enhances EI of neighboring areas around the pilot cities, especially within 200 to 400 km of the perimeter. Meanwhile, the co‐implementation of ESERP and smart city pilot policies is beneficial in reducing EI. Additionally, business strategy analysis indicates that ESERP effectively reduces EI of firms, especially in private, technology‐intensive, asset‐intensive, and heavy polluting firms. This paper provides empirical experience for optimizing green fiscal policy and promoting sustainable business development, which has significant policy guidance value and business strategy significance.