Digital economy and economic competitive pressure on local governments: Evidence from China

For decades, fiscal decentralization and gross domestic product growth targeting have resulted in fierce economic competition among local governments in China, putting tremendous economic competitive pressure on them. The latter has serious social and economic implications and is a major issue for policymakers. This study analyzes data from China’s 30 provinces for 2011–2021. It demonstrates that digital economic development could considerably reduce economic, competitive pressure on local governments, with trade openness and entrepreneurial dynamism serving as impact mechanisms. This study also found that the alleviating effects are more pronounced in regions with a poor innovation environment, a less developed economy, or lagging human resources. These findings emphasize the important role of the digital economy in increasing regional competitiveness and reducing regional disparities.数十年来，财政分权（fiscal decentralization）与国内生产总值（gross domestic product，GDP）增长目标考核，使得中国地方政府间陷入激烈的经济竞争，地方政府由此承受了巨大的经济竞争压力。此类压力蕴含严重的社会与经济影响，亦是政策制定者亟待关注的核心议题。本研究选取2011至2021年中国30个省份的面板数据展开分析，结果表明数字经济发展可显著缓解地方政府面临的经济竞争压力，其中贸易开放度与创业活力构成了核心影响传导机制。本研究同时发现，在创新环境薄弱、经济发展水平偏低或人力资源滞后的地区，数字经济的压力缓解效应更为显著。上述研究结果凸显了数字经济在提升区域竞争力、缩小区域发展差距中的重要作用。