IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v8y2016i2p121-d63084.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Regional Convergence and Sustainable Development in China

Author

Listed:
  • Fang Yang

    (Collaborative Innovation Center for Peaceful Development of Cross-Strait Relations, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China
    School of Economics, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China)

  • Shiying Pan

    (China Center for Energy Economics Research, School of Economics, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China)

  • Xin Yao

    (China Center for Energy Economics Research, School of Economics, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China
    Collaborative Innovation Center for Energy Economics and Energy Policy, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China)

Abstract

Based on the convergence theory of economic growth, this paper extends this concept to the human development index and carries out an empirical analysis of regional development in China between 1997 and 2006. Our research shows that the conditional convergence has been identified. Investment in fixed assets, government expenditure on education, health and infrastructure construction have positive effects on regional convergence of social development. Population weighted analysis of human development index provides support for weak convergence amongst provinces. Analysis of dynamics of regional distribution reveals the club convergence, which indicate two different convergence states. Central China is in the shade and lags behind, giving rise to the so-called “central downfall”. To solve this problem, the “Rise of Central China” Plan is necessary to promote the connection between coastal and inland regions of China and reduce the regional development gap.

Suggested Citation

  • Fang Yang & Shiying Pan & Xin Yao, 2016. "Regional Convergence and Sustainable Development in China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 8(2), pages 1-15, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:8:y:2016:i:2:p:121-:d:63084
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/8/2/121/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/8/2/121/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. anonymous, 1995. "Does the bouncing ball lead to economic growth?," Regional Update, Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, issue Jul, pages 1-2,4-6.
    2. Liu, Xiaoyun & Wang, Xiuqing & Whalley, John & Xin, Xian, 2011. "Technological change and China's regional disparities — A calibrated equilibrium analysis," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 28(1), pages 582-588.
    3. Robert J. Barro, 2013. "Inflation and Economic Growth," Annals of Economics and Finance, Society for AEF, vol. 14(1), pages 121-144, May.
    4. Grimm, Michael & Harttgen, Kenneth & Klasen, Stephan & Misselhorn, Mark, 2008. "A Human Development Index by Income Groups," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 36(12), pages 2527-2546, December.
    5. Robert J. Barro, 1991. "Economic Growth in a Cross Section of Countries," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 106(2), pages 407-443.
    6. Quah, Danny T, 1996. "Twin Peaks: Growth and Convergence in Models of Distribution Dynamics," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 106(437), pages 1045-1055, July.
    7. Appleton, Simon & Song, Lina & Xia, Qingjie, 2014. "Understanding Urban Wage Inequality in China 1988–2008: Evidence from Quantile Analysis," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 62(C), pages 1-13.
    8. Harttgen, Kenneth & Klasen, Stephan, 2012. "A Household-Based Human Development Index," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 40(5), pages 878-899.
    9. Ravallion, Martin, 2012. "Troubling tradeoffs in the Human Development Index," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 99(2), pages 201-209.
    10. Galor, Oded, 1996. "Convergence? Inferences from Theoretical Models," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 106(437), pages 1056-1069, July.
    11. Quah, Danny, 1996. "Twin peaks : growth and convergence in models of distribution dynamics," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 2278, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    12. Naranpanawa, Athula & Arora, Rashmi, 2014. "Does Trade Liberalization Promote Regional Disparities? Evidence from a Multiregional CGE Model of India," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 64(C), pages 339-349.
    13. Song, Shunfeng & Chu, George S. -F. & Chao, Rongqing, 2000. "Intercity regional disparity in China," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 11(3), pages 246-261.
    14. Tianbao Qin, 2014. "Challenges for Sustainable Development and Its Legal Response in China: A Perspective for Social Transformation," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 6(8), pages 1-32, August.
    15. Yao, Shujie & Zhang, Zongyi, 2001. "On Regional Inequality and Diverging Clubs: A Case Study of Contemporary China," Journal of Comparative Economics, Elsevier, vol. 29(3), pages 466-484, September.
    16. N. Gregory Mankiw & David Romer & David N. Weil, 1992. "A Contribution to the Empirics of Economic Growth," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 107(2), pages 407-437.
    17. Qin, Duo & Cagas, Marie Anne & Ducanes, Geoffrey & He, Xinhua & Liu, Rui & Liu, Shiguo, 2009. "Effects of income inequality on China's economic growth," Journal of Policy Modeling, Elsevier, vol. 31(1), pages 69-86.
    18. Xavier Sala-i-Martin, 2001. "The disturbing 'rise' of global income inequality," Economics Working Papers 616, Department of Economics and Business, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, revised Apr 2002.
    19. Hu, Dapeng, 2002. "Trade, rural-urban migration, and regional income disparity in developing countries: a spatial general equilibrium model inspired by the case of China," Regional Science and Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 32(3), pages 311-338, May.
    20. Xavier Sala-I-Martin, 1997. "Transfers, Social Safety Nets, and Economic Growth," IMF Staff Papers, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 44(1), pages 81-102, March.
    21. François Bourguignon & Christian Morrisson, 2002. "Inequality Among World Citizens: 1820-1992," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 92(4), pages 727-744, September.
    22. Gregory M. Mikkelson, 2013. "Growth Is the Problem; Equality Is the Solution," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 5(2), pages 1-8, January.
    23. Gustafsson, Björn & Sai, Ding, 2009. "Rank, income and income inequality in urban China," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 20(3), pages 497-507, September.
    24. Danny Quah, 1996. "Twin Peaks: Growth and Convergence in Models of Distribution Dynamics," CEP Discussion Papers dp0280, Centre for Economic Performance, LSE.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Weili Zhang & Jibin Fu & Quan Ju, 2020. "A study on the model of economic growth convergence in developing regions: an empirical analysis from Henan Province, China," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 59(2), pages 547-567, August.
    2. Ciprian Ionel Turturean & Ciprian Chirilă & Viorica Chirilă, 2022. "The Convergence in the Sustainability of the Economies of the European Union Countries between 2006 and 2016," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(16), pages 1-34, August.
    3. Guowei Che & Zeming Wang & Zhengli Yang, 2021. "Construction and application of a comprehensive coordination and cross-efficiency sustainable development evaluation model: a case study of 31 provinces and regions in China," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 23(1), pages 151-171, January.
    4. Ming Luo & Ruguo Fan & Yingqing Zhang, 2017. "A Study on China’s Urban Electricity Productivity Convergence with Spatial Smooth Transition Effect," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(8), pages 1-18, August.
    5. Xiaosu Ye & Lie Ma & Kunhui Ye & Jiantao Chen & Qiu Xie, 2017. "Analysis of Regional Inequality from Sectoral Structure, Spatial Policy and Economic Development: A Case Study of Chongqing, China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(4), pages 1-17, April.
    6. John Storm & Adam Smith, 2022. "Empathize with Whom? Adopting a Design Thinking Mind-Set to Stimulate Sustainability Initiatives in Chinese SMEs," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(1), pages 1-16, December.
    7. Peng Bin, 2016. "Dynamic Development of Regional Disparity in Mainland China: An Experimental Study Based on a Multidimensional Index," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 8(12), pages 1-28, December.
    8. Dukhabandhu Sahoo & Diptimayee Mishra & Auro Kumar Sahoo & Phendulwa Zikhona Makunga & Jayanti Behera, 2020. "Regional and subregional analyses of macroeconomic policy strategies for growth and equality in Southern Africa," WIDER Working Paper Series wp-2020-176, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    9. Montañés, Antonio & Olmos, Lorena & Reyes, Marcelo, 2018. "Has the Great Recession affected the convergence process? The case of Spanish provinces," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 68(C), pages 360-371.
    10. Muhammad Hidayat & Nasri Bachtiar & Sjafrizal Sjafrizal & Elvina Primayesa, 2023. "The Influence of Investment, Energy Infrastructure, and Human Capital Towards Convergence of Regional Disparities in Sumatra Island, Indonesia; Using Oil and Gas Data and Without Oil and Gas," International Journal of Energy Economics and Policy, Econjournals, vol. 13(4), pages 139-149, July.
    11. Dana Kiseľáková & Beáta Šofranková & Miroslav Gombár & Veronika Čabinová & Erika Onuferová, 2019. "Competitiveness and Its Impact on Sustainability, Business Environment, and Human Development of EU (28) Countries in terms of Global Multi-Criteria Indices," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(12), pages 1-25, June.
    12. Francesco Maria Chelli & Barbara Ermini & Mauro Gallegati & Andrea Gentili, 2023. "Investigating Regional Disparities in Italy’s Well-Being Since Unification (1871–2011)," Italian Economic Journal: A Continuation of Rivista Italiana degli Economisti and Giornale degli Economisti, Springer;Società Italiana degli Economisti (Italian Economic Association), vol. 9(2), pages 697-722, July.
    13. Yongrok Choi & Malin Song & Seunghwan Myeong, 2016. "Introduction to the Special Issue on the Sustainable Asia Conference 2015," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 8(3), pages 1-9, March.
    14. Muhammad Hidayat & Nasri Bachtiar & Sjafrizal Sjafrizal & Elvina Primayesa, 2022. "Does Investment and Energy Infrastructure Influence Convergence in Sumatra Island, Indonesia?," International Journal of Energy Economics and Policy, Econjournals, vol. 12(4), pages 274-281, July.
    15. Xuedong Liang & Dongyang Si & Xinli Zhang, 2017. "Regional Sustainable Development Analysis Based on Information Entropy—Sichuan Province as an Example," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 14(10), pages 1-18, October.

    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. Stephen Dobson & Carlyn Ramlogan & Eric Strobl, 2006. "Why Do Rates Of Β‐Convergence Differ? A Meta‐Regression Analysis," Scottish Journal of Political Economy, Scottish Economic Society, vol. 53(2), pages 153-173, May.
    2. Long, N.V. & Wong, K.Y., 1996. "Endogenous Growth and International Trade: A Survey," Working Papers 96-07, University of Washington, Department of Economics.
    3. Théophile T. Azomahou & Jalal El Ouardighi & Phu Nguyen Van & Thi Kim Cuong Pham, 2006. "Estimation semi-paramétrique de la convergence des régions européennes," Economie & Prévision, La Documentation Française, vol. 0(2), pages 97-110.
    4. Xubei Luo & Nong Zhu & Heng-fu Zou, 2014. "China's Lagging Region Development And Targeted Transportation Infrastructure Investments," Annals of Economics and Finance, Society for AEF, vol. 15(1), pages 157-200, May.
    5. CHI, Wei, 2008. "The role of human capital in China's economic development: Review and new evidence," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 19(3), pages 421-436, September.
    6. Fung, Michael K., 2009. "Financial development and economic growth: Convergence or divergence?," Journal of International Money and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 28(1), pages 56-67, February.
    7. Weisbrod, Julian & Vollmer, Sebastian & Holzmann, Hajo, 2007. "Perspectives on the World Income Distribution: Beyond Twin Peaks Towards Welfare Conclusions," Proceedings of the German Development Economics Conference, Göttingen 2007 32, Verein für Socialpolitik, Research Committee Development Economics.
    8. Iancu, Aurel, 2009. "Real Economic Convergence," Working Papers of National Institute for Economic Research 090104, Institutul National de Cercetari Economice (INCE).
    9. Adriana Di Liberto, 2007. "Convergence and Divergence in Neoclassical Growth Models with Human Capital," Economia politica, Società editrice il Mulino, issue 2, pages 289-322.
    10. Paul Johnson & Chris Papageorgiou, 2020. "What Remains of Cross-Country Convergence?," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 58(1), pages 129-175, March.
    11. Michael Lee & Ritchard Longmire & Laszlo Matyas & Mark Harris, 1998. "Growth convergence: some panel data evidence," Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 30(7), pages 907-912.
    12. Calzadilla, Alvaro, 2010. "Global income distribution and poverty: Implications from the IPCC SRES scenarios," Kiel Working Papers 1664, Kiel Institute for the World Economy (IfW Kiel).
    13. Brida, Juan Gabriel & London, Silvia & Rojas, Mara, 2013. "Una aplicación de los árboles de expansión mínima y árboles jerárquicos al estudio de la convergencia interregional en dinámica de regímenes || An Application of Minimum Spanning Trees and Hierarchica," Revista de Métodos Cuantitativos para la Economía y la Empresa = Journal of Quantitative Methods for Economics and Business Administration, Universidad Pablo de Olavide, Department of Quantitative Methods for Economics and Business Administration, vol. 15(1), pages 3-28, June.
    14. Tong, Jian & Xu, Cheng-Gang, 2004. "Financial institutions and the wealth of nations: tales of development," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 24682, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    15. Casu, Barbara & Girardone, Claudia, 2010. "Integration and efficiency convergence in EU banking markets," Omega, Elsevier, vol. 38(5), pages 260-267, October.
    16. Ceccobelli, M. & Gitto, S. & Mancuso, P., 2012. "ICT capital and labour productivity growth: A non-parametric analysis of 14 OECD countries," Telecommunications Policy, Elsevier, vol. 36(4), pages 282-292.
    17. Hajo Holzmann & Sebastian Vollmer & Julian Weisbrod, 2007. "Income Distribution Dynamics and Pro-Poor Growth in the World from 1970 to 2003," Ibero America Institute for Econ. Research (IAI) Discussion Papers 161, Ibero-America Institute for Economic Research.
    18. Srinivas, Goli, 2014. "Demographic convergence and its linkage with health inequalities in India," MPRA Paper 79823, University Library of Munich, Germany, revised 05 Dec 2014.
    19. Ulaşan, Bülent, 2012. "Cross-country growth empirics and model uncertainty: An overview," Economics - The Open-Access, Open-Assessment E-Journal (2007-2020), Kiel Institute for the World Economy (IfW Kiel), vol. 6, pages 1-69.
    20. Qinghua Zhang & Heng-fu Zou, 2012. "Regional Inequality in Contemporary China," Annals of Economics and Finance, Society for AEF, vol. 13(1), pages 113-137, May.

    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:8:y:2016:i:2:p:121-:d:63084. 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.