IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v16y2024i8p3482-d1380149.html

Spatial Interaction of Local Government Debt: Evidence from China

Author

Listed:
  • Ning Han

    (Business School, Qingdao University of Technology, Qingdao 266520, China)

  • Huiyan Guo

    (Business School, Shandong Xiehe University, Jinan 250107, China)

  • Weitao Diao

    (Business School, Qingdao University of Technology, Qingdao 266520, China)

Abstract

The amount of local government debt has an important impact on the economic and social sustainability of a country. The rapid increase in local government debt in China over the past decade and the associated risks have profound implications for financial and economic sustainable development. While existing research has investigated governmental strategic interactions of tax and spending, little attention has been given to the spatial interaction of local government debt. This study employs Two-Regime Spatial Lag Models to investigate the spatial interaction of the debt among China’s 332 prefectural-level local governments over the period of 2015 to 2019. The findings show significant interaction effects between neighbouring governments, both in the acquisition and utilisation of debt quotas, and the interaction during the acquisition process is higher than that during the utilisation process. In addition, the interaction between neighbouring governments within the same province is more pronounced than that between governments adjacent but located in different provinces. Furthermore, the interaction of special debt is more manifest than that of general debt. These findings pass various robustness tests. Additionally, the mechanism test shows that fiscal competition is one of the driving forces behind the observed interdependence of local governments’ debt strategies.

Suggested Citation

  • Ning Han & Huiyan Guo & Weitao Diao, 2024. "Spatial Interaction of Local Government Debt: Evidence from China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(8), pages 1-20, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:16:y:2024:i:8:p:3482-:d:1380149
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/16/8/3482/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/16/8/3482/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Besley, Timothy & Case, Anne, 1995. "Incumbent Behavior: Vote-Seeking, Tax-Setting, and Yardstick Competition," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 85(1), pages 25-45, March.
    2. J. Paul Elhorst & Sandy Fréret, 2009. "Evidence Of Political Yardstick Competition In France Using A Two‐Regime Spatial Durbin Model With Fixed Effects," Journal of Regional Science, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 49(5), pages 931-951, December.
    3. Qu, Xi & Xu, Zhiwei & Yu, Jinxiang & Zhu, Jun, 2023. "Understanding local government debt in China: A regional competition perspective," Regional Science and Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 98(C).
    4. Jensen, Richard & Toma, Eugenia Froedge, 1991. "Debt in a model of tax competition," Regional Science and Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 21(3), pages 371-392, November.
    5. Zaremba, Adam & Kizys, Renatas & Aharon, David Y., 2021. "Volatility in International Sovereign Bond Markets: The role of government policy responses to the COVID-19 pandemic," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 43(C).
    6. Bordignon, Massimo & Cerniglia, Floriana & Revelli, Federico, 2003. "In search of yardstick competition: a spatial analysis of Italian municipality property tax setting," Journal of Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 54(2), pages 199-217, September.
    7. Cull, Robert & Xu, Lixin Colin & Yang, Xi & Zhou, Li-An & Zhu, Tian, 2017. "Market facilitation by local government and firm efficiency: Evidence from China," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 42(C), pages 460-480.
    8. Wildasin, David E., 1988. "Nash equilibria in models of fiscal competition," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 35(2), pages 229-240, March.
    9. Dechun Liu & Xinye Zheng & Yihua Yu, 2022. "Public Debt Competition in Local China: Evidence and Mechanism of Spatial Interactions," Regional Science Policy & Practice, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 14(S2), pages 91-105, November.
    10. Bayan Mohamad Alshaib & Abdullah Mohammad Ghazi Al khatib & Alina Cristina Nuta & Mohamad Hamra & Pradeep Mishra & Rajani Gautam & Sarfraz Hussain & Cristina Gabriela Zamfir, 2023. "Fiscal Sustainability and Its Implications for Economic Growth in Egypt: An Empirical Analysis," SAGE Open, , vol. 13(4), pages 21582440231, December.
    11. Wilson, John Douglas, 1999. "Theories of Tax Competition," National Tax Journal, National Tax Association;National Tax Journal, vol. 52(2), pages 269-304, June.
    12. Yi Huang & Marco Pagano & Ugo Panizza, 2020. "Local Crowding‐Out in China," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 75(6), pages 2855-2898, December.
    13. Kelejian, Harry H & Prucha, Ingmar R, 1998. "A Generalized Spatial Two-Stage Least Squares Procedure for Estimating a Spatial Autoregressive Model with Autoregressive Disturbances," The Journal of Real Estate Finance and Economics, Springer, vol. 17(1), pages 99-121, July.
    14. Alan J. Auerbach & William G. Gale & Byron Lutz & Louise Sheiner, 2020. "Effects of COVID-19 on Federal, State, and Local Government Budgets," Brookings Papers on Economic Activity, Economic Studies Program, The Brookings Institution, vol. 51(3 (Fall)), pages 229-278.
    15. Yousha Liang & Kang Shi & Lisheng Wang & Juanyi Xu, 2017. "Local Government Debt and Firm Leverage: Evidence from China," Asian Economic Policy Review, Japan Center for Economic Research, vol. 12(2), pages 210-232, July.
    16. Wilson, John Douglas, 1999. "Theories of Tax Competition," National Tax Journal, National Tax Association, vol. 52(n. 2), pages 269-304, June.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Sandy Fréret & Denis Maguain, 2017. "The effects of agglomeration on tax competition: evidence from a two-regime spatial panel model on French data," International Tax and Public Finance, Springer;International Institute of Public Finance, vol. 24(6), pages 1100-1140, December.
    2. Matthieu Leprince & Sonia Paty & Emmanuelle Reulier, 2005. "Choix d'imposition et interactions spatiales entre collectivités locales. Un test sur les départements français," Recherches économiques de Louvain, De Boeck Université, vol. 71(1), pages 67-93.
    3. Raffaella Santolini, 2008. "A spatial cross‐sectional analysis of political trends in Italian municipalities," Papers in Regional Science, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 87(3), pages 431-451, August.
    4. Yihua Yu & Li Zhang & Fanghua Li & Xinye Zheng, 2013. "Strategic interaction and the determinants of public health expenditures in China: a spatial panel perspective," The Annals of Regional Science, Springer;Western Regional Science Association, vol. 50(1), pages 203-221, February.
    5. Sebastian Langer, 2019. "Expenditure interactions between municipalities and the role of agglomeration forces: a spatial analysis for North Rhine-Westphalia," The Annals of Regional Science, Springer;Western Regional Science Association, vol. 62(3), pages 497-527, June.
    6. Cassette, Aurélie & Paty, Sonia, 2006. "La concurrence fiscale entre communes est-elle plus intense en milieu urbain qu’en milieu rural ?," Cahiers d'Economie et de Sociologie Rurales (CESR), Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA), vol. 78.
    7. Yu, Jihai & Zhou, Li-An & Zhu, Guozhong, 2016. "Strategic interaction in political competition: Evidence from spatial effects across Chinese cities," Regional Science and Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 57(C), pages 23-37.
    8. Borck, Rainald & Fossen, Frank M. & Freier, Ronny & Martin, Thorsten, 2015. "Race to the debt trap? — Spatial econometric evidence on debt in German municipalities," Regional Science and Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 53(C), pages 20-37.
    9. Francisco J. Delgado & Santiago Lago-Peñas & Matías Mayor, 2015. "On The Determinants Of Local Tax Rates: New Evidence From Spain," Contemporary Economic Policy, Western Economic Association International, vol. 33(2), pages 351-368, April.
    10. Lyytikäinen, Teemu, 2012. "Tax competition among local governments: Evidence from a property tax reform in Finland," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 96(7-8), pages 584-595.
    11. Thierry Madiès & Sonia Paty & Yvon Rocaboy, 2005. "Externalités fiscales horizontales et verticales. Où en est la théorie du fédéralisme financier ?," Revue d'économie politique, Dalloz, vol. 115(1), pages 17-63.
    12. Laurent Van Malderen & Marcel Gérard, 2012. "Tax Interaction Among Walloon Municipalities: Is There Room For Partisan Monopoly Effect?," ERSA conference papers ersa12p1051, European Regional Science Association.
    13. Edmark, Karin, 2007. "Strategic competition in Swedish local spending on childcare, schooling and care for the elderly," Working Paper Series 2007:22, IFAU - Institute for Evaluation of Labour Market and Education Policy.
    14. Marcel Gérard & Hubert Jayet & Sonia Paty, 2009. "Tax Interactions among Belgian Municipalities: Does Language Matter?," CESifo Working Paper Series 2558, CESifo.
    15. Sylvie Charlot & Sonia Paty, 2010. "Do Agglomeration Forces Strengthen Tax Interactions?," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 47(5), pages 1099-1116, May.
    16. Wang, Jian & Wu, Qun & Yan, Siqi & Guo, Guancheng & Peng, Shangui, 2020. "China’s local governments breaking the land use planning quota: A strategic interaction perspective," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 92(C).
    17. Fredrik Andersson & Rikard Forslid, 2003. "Tax Competition and Economic Geography," Journal of Public Economic Theory, Association for Public Economic Theory, vol. 5(2), pages 279-303, April.
    18. Marcel Gérard & Laurent van Malderen, 2012. "Tax Interaction among Walloon Municipalities: Is there Room for Yardstick Competition, Intellectual Trend and Partisan Monopoly Effect?," CESifo Working Paper Series 4025, CESifo.
    19. Pantelis Kammas, 2011. "Strategic fiscal interaction among OECD countries," Public Choice, Springer, vol. 147(3), pages 459-480, June.
    20. Arfat Ahmad Sofi & Subash Sasidharan, 2018. "Do Indian States Mimic, Compete or Interact in Local Public Spending? A Spatial Econometric Analysis," Asian Economic Journal, East Asian Economic Association, vol. 32(2), pages 187-213, June.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:16:y:2024:i:8:p:3482-:d:1380149. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.