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Corruption as a natural resource curse: Evidence from the Chinese coal mining

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  • Dong, Baomin
  • Zhang, Yu
  • Song, Huasheng

Abstract

Research on the natural resource curse has been extended to the impact of natural resource abundance/dependence on institutional or governance quality, which includes corruption. This study investigates the impact of coal mining on local corruption in China. The findings show a positive association between coal output and corruption at the prefectural Party Secretary's level. Using the spatial band of 200 km radius and 100 km radius of individual coalmines aggregated at prefecture level as an instrumental variable, we establish the causality running from coal output to local corruption. A robustness check using court verdicts of all bribery cases in China indicate the same result, i.e., coal mining is conducive to local corruption at all levels. Furthermore, we show that the mechanism is not through demand side, i.e., corruption is not a consequence of economic boom around the coalmines but directly linked to the coal mining itself.

Suggested Citation

  • Dong, Baomin & Zhang, Yu & Song, Huasheng, 2019. "Corruption as a natural resource curse: Evidence from the Chinese coal mining," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 57(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:chieco:v:57:y:2019:i:c:s1043951x19300756
    DOI: 10.1016/j.chieco.2019.101314
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. S. Vögele & K. Govorukha & P. Mayer & I. Rhoden & D. Rübbelke & W. Kuckshinrichs, 2023. "Effects of a coal phase-out in Europe on reaching the UN Sustainable Development Goals," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 25(1), pages 879-916, January.
    2. Lourdes ROJAS RUBIO, 2022. "Inequality, Corruption and Support for Democracy," THEMA Working Papers 2022-20, THEMA (THéorie Economique, Modélisation et Applications), Université de Cergy-Pontoise.
    3. Mohammad Abdul Munim Joarder & Monir Uddin Ahmed, 2023. "Does natural resource abundance breed corruption? The role of political institutions," SN Business & Economics, Springer, vol. 3(9), pages 1-43, September.
    4. Salari, Mahmoud & Noghanibehambari, Hamid, 2021. "Natural resources, women and corruption," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 74(C).
    5. Song, Malin & Xie, Qianjiao & Tan, Kim Hua & Wang, Jianlin, 2020. "A fair distribution and transfer mechanism of forest tourism benefits in China," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 63(C).
    6. Li, Chengyu & Wang, Qunwei & Zhou, Peng, 2023. "Does the “resource curse” have a spatial spillover effect? Evidence from China," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 81(C).
    7. Ewodo-Amougou, Marcel Rodrigue & Sapnken, Flavian Emmanuel & Mfetoum, Inoussah Moungnutou & Tamba, Jean Gaston, 2023. "Analysis of the relationship between oil rent and crude oil production in Cameroon: Evidence from ARDL and NARDL models," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 85(PB).
    8. Yu Zhang & Wenqi Zhang & Bowen Cheng, 2024. "The curse of spanning over millennium: Confucian culture and corruption in China," Economics of Transition and Institutional Change, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 32(2), pages 473-500, April.
    9. Ren, Yi-Shuai & Ma, Chao-Qun & Apergis, Nicholas & Sharp, Basil, 2021. "Responses of carbon emissions to corruption across Chinese provinces," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 98(C).
    10. Zallé, Oumarou, 2022. "Natural Resource Dependence, Corruption, and Tax Revenue Mobilization," Journal of Economic Integration, Center for Economic Integration, Sejong University, vol. 37(2), pages 316-336.
    11. Cheng, Zhonghua & Li, Xiang & Wang, Meixiao, 2021. "Resource curse and green economic growth," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 74(C).
    12. Yu, Haijing & Hu, Chenpei & Xu, Bing, 2022. "Re-examining the existence of a “resource curse”: A spatial heterogeneity perspective," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 139(C), pages 1004-1011.
    13. Badeeb, Ramez Abubakr & Szulczyk, Kenneth R. & Zahra, Samia & Mukherjee, Tanusree Chakravarty, 2023. "Innovation dynamics in the natural resource curse hypothesis: A new perspective from BRICS countries," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 81(C).
    14. Hui Hu & Weijun Ran & Yuchen Wei & Xiang Li, 2020. "Do Energy Resource Curse and Heterogeneous Curse Exist in Provinces? Evidence from China," Energies, MDPI, vol. 13(17), pages 1-26, August.
    15. Xu, Xiaoliang & Xu, Xuefen, 2021. "Can resource policy adjustments effectively curb regional “resource curse” ? new evidences from the “energy golden triangle area” of China," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 73(C).
    16. Yao, Xin & Li, Xiyan, 2023. "Dark side of resource dependence: Inadequate entrepreneurship," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 85(PA).
    17. Shenghui Tong, 2022. "Corruption and anti‐corruption in China: a review and future research agenda," Asian-Pacific Economic Literature, The Crawford School, The Australian National University, vol. 36(1), pages 3-16, May.
    18. Zhao, Yanqi & Yang, Ying & Leszek, Sobkowiak & Wang, Xinyi, 2021. "Experience in the transformation process of “coal city” to “beautiful city”: Taking Jiaozuo City as an example," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 150(C).
    19. Badeeb, Ramez Abubakr & Szulczyk, Kenneth R. & Lean, Hooi Hooi, 2021. "Asymmetries in the effect of oil rent shocks on economic growth: A sectoral analysis from the perspective of the oil curse," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 74(C).
    20. Dou, Shiquan & Yue, Chen & Xu, Deyi & Wei, Yi & Li, Hang, 2022. "Rethinking the “resource curse”: New evidence from nighttime light data," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 76(C).
    21. Ramez Abubakr Badeeb & Jeremy Clark & Abey P. Philip, 2021. "The Nonlinear Effects of Oil Rent Dependence on Malaysian Manufacturing: Implications from Structural Change using a Markov-Regime Switching Model," Working Papers in Economics 21/11, University of Canterbury, Department of Economics and Finance.
    22. Khan, Muhammad Atif & Gu, Lulu & Khan, Muhammad Asif & Oláh, Judit, 2020. "Natural resources and financial development: The role of institutional quality," Journal of Multinational Financial Management, Elsevier, vol. 56(C).
    23. Canh, Nguyen Phuc & Schinckus, Christophe & Thanh, Su Dinh, 2020. "The natural resources rents: Is economic complexity a solution for resource curse?," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 69(C).

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Natural resources; Coal mines; Corruption; China; Resource curse;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D73 - Microeconomics - - Analysis of Collective Decision-Making - - - Bureaucracy; Administrative Processes in Public Organizations; Corruption
    • O13 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Agriculture; Natural Resources; Environment; Other Primary Products
    • Q32 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Nonrenewable Resources and Conservation - - - Exhaustible Resources and Economic Development

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