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Can internet finance alleviate the exclusiveness of traditional finance? evidence from Chinese P2P lending markets

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  • Zhong, Weiqiang
  • Jiang, Tingfeng

Abstract

Recently, burgeoning Internet finance has been considered a crucial tool for alleviating financial exclusion in China, but few studies have empirically investigated its effectiveness. Using unique daily city-level multiplatform peer-to-peer (P2P) lending data from China, this paper empirically explores whether and how Internet finance, such as P2P lending, can alleviate financial exclusion. We find that city participation in P2P lending is positively linked to the degree of Internet development and negatively linked to the accessibility of traditional finance and that there is an obvious asymmetry in the levels of investment exclusion and borrowing exclusion. This paper provides empirical evidence that Internet finance can weaken the exclusiveness of traditional finance and reduce the asymmetry in investment and borrowing exclusion levels in traditional financial markets.

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  • Zhong, Weiqiang & Jiang, Tingfeng, 2021. "Can internet finance alleviate the exclusiveness of traditional finance? evidence from Chinese P2P lending markets," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 40(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:finlet:v:40:y:2021:i:c:s1544612319308001
    DOI: 10.1016/j.frl.2020.101731
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    3. Jiang, Kangqi & Chen, Zhongfei & Rughoo, Aarti & Zhou, Mengling, 2022. "Internet finance and corporate investment: Evidence from China," Journal of International Financial Markets, Institutions and Money, Elsevier, vol. 77(C).
    4. Krzysztof Waliszewski & Ewa Cichowicz & £ukasz Gêbski & Filip Kliber & Jakub Kubiczek & Pawe³ Niedzió³ka & Ma³gorzata Solarz & Anna Warchlewska, 2023. "The role of the Lendtech sector in the consumer credit market in the context of household financial exclusion," Oeconomia Copernicana, Institute of Economic Research, vol. 14(2), pages 609-643, June.
    5. Luan, Bingjiang & Zou, Hong & Huang, Junbing, 2023. "Digital divide and household energy poverty in China," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 119(C).
    6. Zheng, Yingfei & Shen, Anran & Li, Ruihai & Yang, Yuhong & Wang, Shengjin & Cheng, Lee-Young, 2023. "Spillover effects between internet financial industry and traditional financial industry: Evidence from the Chinese stock market," Pacific-Basin Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 79(C).
    7. Amir Gholami & Peter A. Murray & John Sands, 2022. "Environmental, Social, Governance & Financial Performance Disclosure for Large Firms: Is This Different for SME Firms?," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(10), pages 1-21, May.
    8. Pengpeng Yue & Aslihan Gizem Korkmaz & Zhichao Yin & Haigang Zhou, 2022. "The rise of digital finance: Financial inclusion or debt trap," Papers 2201.09221, arXiv.org.
    9. Yue, Pengpeng & Korkmaz, Aslihan Gizem & Yin, Zhichao & Zhou, Haigang, 2022. "The rise of digital finance: Financial inclusion or debt trap?," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 47(PA).
    10. Zhan, Minghua & Li, Shuai & Wu, Zhouheng, 2023. "Can digital finance development improve balanced regional investment allocations in developing countries? — The evidence from China," Emerging Markets Review, Elsevier, vol. 56(C).
    11. Kun Song & Yu Tang & Dungang Zang & Hua Guo & Wenting Kong, 2022. "Does Digital Finance Increase Relatively Large-Scale Farmers’ Agricultural Income through the Allocation of Production Factors? Evidence from China," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 12(11), pages 1-15, November.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Financial exclusion; Internet finance; Traditional finance; P2P Lending;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • G00 - Financial Economics - - General - - - General
    • G23 - Financial Economics - - Financial Institutions and Services - - - Non-bank Financial Institutions; Financial Instruments; Institutional Investors
    • L86 - Industrial Organization - - Industry Studies: Services - - - Information and Internet Services; Computer Software

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