The impact of urban green business environment on FDI quality and its driving mechanism: Evidence from China

The world's leading recipient of foreign direct investment (FDI), China should pay attention to both the volume and quality of FDI as it seeks to integrate more fully into globalization. At this stage of development, establishing an environmentally friendly business environment has become a critical strategy for improving the quality of FDI. So, this paper constructs the index system of the urban green business environment and the measurement of FDI quality to test the driving mechanism of the urban green business environment on FDI quality. The study draws the following conclusions. Firstly, the green business environment can significantly enhance FDI quality, and this impact exhibits a positive spatial spillover effect overall. However, regionally, only the eastern region demonstrates a positive spillover effect. Secondly, the mechanism test results reveal that public services, financial services, market environment, ecological environment, human resources, and legal environment are the key driving factors of the urban green business environment on FDI quality. Moreover, the intermediary effect test establishes that the urban green business environment enhances FDI quality by mitigating risks. Thirdly, the heterogeneity test results indicate that the green business environment can enhance FDI quality for cities with varying income and pollution levels. The research results provide a new perspective for improving FDI quality and optimizing the green business environment. They hold significant implications for enlightening the coordinated development of the urban green business environment and FDI quality in different regions, as well as for maximizing the influence of the green business environment on FDI quality.