IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/plo/pone00/0284191.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Factor price distortion among regions in China and its influence on China’s economic growth

Author

Listed:
  • JIE Yang

Abstract

Factor price distortions and resource misallocation are important sources of productivity differences between regions. Promoting the free flow of factors of production is conducive to giving full play to the decisive role of the market in allocating resources, which is crucial to helping a country’s economy develop in a high-quality and sustainable manner. This paper proposes a new approach to measuring factor market distortions and establishes the relationship between factor price distortions and a country’s economic growth. This paper examines the resource misallocation and efficiency loss of 31 provinces in China from 2004 to 2020, and proposes an analytical framework for resource misallocation among regions, with which the Total Factor Productivity (TFP) and the factor price distortion of provinces in China are calculated. The calculation results indicate that the TFP of China’s provinces gradually declines from the eastern coast to the western inland. The resource allocation efficiency in the eastern and central areas is higher than that in the western areas, so is the factor price, and its distortion causes nearly 6% of loss of output value in China. China’s economic growth is still reliant on the increase of factor input and technological development and the improvement of resource allocation efficiency has no significant effect on growth.

Suggested Citation

  • JIE Yang, 2023. "Factor price distortion among regions in China and its influence on China’s economic growth," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 18(4), pages 1-26, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:plo:pone00:0284191
    DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0284191
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0284191
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0284191&type=printable
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1371/journal.pone.0284191?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Diego Restuccia & Richard Rogerson, 2017. "The Causes and Costs of Misallocation," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 31(3), pages 151-174, Summer.
    2. Yang, Mian & Yang, Fuxia & Sun, Chuanwang, 2018. "Factor market distortion correction, resource reallocation and potential productivity gains: An empirical study on China's heavy industry sector," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 69(C), pages 270-279.
    3. Tasso Adamopoulos & Loren Brandt & Jessica Leight & Diego Restuccia, 2022. "Misallocation, Selection, and Productivity: A Quantitative Analysis With Panel Data From China," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 90(3), pages 1261-1282, May.
    4. Chong-en Bai & Chang-Tai Hsieh & Zheng Song, 2020. "Special Deals with Chinese Characteristics," NBER Macroeconomics Annual, University of Chicago Press, vol. 34(1), pages 341-379.
    5. Olley, G Steven & Pakes, Ariel, 1996. "The Dynamics of Productivity in the Telecommunications Equipment Industry," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 64(6), pages 1263-1297, November.
    6. Chang-Tai Hsieh & Peter J. Klenow, 2009. "Misallocation and Manufacturing TFP in China and India," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 124(4), pages 1403-1448.
    7. Maurice J.G. Bun & Jasper Winter, 2022. "Capital and labor misallocation in the Netherlands," Journal of Productivity Analysis, Springer, vol. 57(1), pages 93-113, February.
    8. Ángeles Montoro‐Sánchez & Domingo Ribeiro Soriano, 2011. "Human resource management and corporate entrepreneurship," International Journal of Manpower, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 32(1), pages 6-13, March.
    9. Loren Brandt & Trevor Tombe & Xiadong Zhu, 2013. "Factor Market Distortions Across Time, Space, and Sectors in China," Review of Economic Dynamics, Elsevier for the Society for Economic Dynamics, vol. 16(1), pages 39-58, January.
    10. Son Ngoc Chu & Ligang Song, 2015. "Promoting Private Entrepreneurship for Deepening Market Reform in China: A Resource Allocation Perspective," China & World Economy, Institute of World Economics and Politics, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, vol. 23(1), pages 47-77, January.
    11. Loren Brandt & Trevor Tombe & Xiadong Zhu, 2013. "Factor Market Distortions Across Time, Space, and Sectors in China," Review of Economic Dynamics, Elsevier for the Society for Economic Dynamics, vol. 16(1), pages 39-58, January.
    12. Yuming Cui & Changrong Lu, 2018. "Are China's unit labour costs still competitive? A comparison with ASEAN countries," Asian-Pacific Economic Literature, The Crawford School, The Australian National University, vol. 32(1), pages 59-76, May.
    13. Keliang Wang & Bin Zhao & Tianzheng Fan & Jinning Zhang, 2022. "Economic Growth Targets and Carbon Emissions: Evidence from China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(13), pages 1-16, June.
    14. Ángeles Montoro‐Sánchez & Domingo Ribeiro Soriano, 2011. "Human resource management and corporate entrepreneurship," International Journal of Manpower, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 32(1), pages 6-13, March.
    15. Hang, Jing, 2022. "Capacity utilization and the measurement of misallocation," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 214(C).
    16. Gong Liutang & Xie Danyang, 2006. "Factor Mobility and Dispersion in Marginal Products: A Case on China," Frontiers of Economics in China-Selected Publications from Chinese Universities, Higher Education Press, vol. 1(1), pages 1-13, March.
    17. Lijing Tang & Dongyan Wang, 2018. "Optimization of County-Level Land Resource Allocation through the Improvement of Allocation Efficiency from the Perspective of Sustainable Development," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 15(12), pages 1-19, November.
    18. Wanfu Jin & Chunshan Zhou & Lijia Luo, 2018. "Impact of Land Input on Economic Growth at Different Stages of Development in Chinese Cities and Regions," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(8), pages 1-19, August.
    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. Qiong Wang & Peipei Cao, 2025. "Evaluation and prediction on resource misallocation of energy industry in China," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 27(4), pages 9003-9020, April.

    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. Hang, Jing & Zhan, Chaoqun, 2023. "Government procurement and resource misallocation: Evidence from China," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 216(C), pages 568-589.
    2. Liu, Shasha & Yin, Shanshan & Yin, Chuan & Sheng, Yan, 2021. "Does the price of natural resources affect firms’ total factor productivity? Evidence from a natural experiment in China," Economic Analysis and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 70(C), pages 37-50.
    3. Yanwei Lyu & Yahui Ge & Jinning Zhang, 2023. "The impact of digital economy on capital misallocation: evidence from China," Economic Change and Restructuring, Springer, vol. 56(5), pages 3475-3499, October.
    4. Diego Restuccia & Richard Rogerson, 2017. "The Causes and Costs of Misallocation," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 31(3), pages 151-174, Summer.
    5. Daniel Berkowitz, 2020. "Declining Market Competition in China," Working Paper 6897, Department of Economics, University of Pittsburgh.
    6. Ping Peng & Xingwang Zhu, 2024. "Mixed-ownership reform and factor misallocation: Evidence from China," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 19(4), pages 1-23, April.
    7. Sheng Dai & Timo Kuosmanen & Zhiqiang Liao, 2024. "Economic growth of cities: Does resource allocation matter?," Papers 2410.04918, arXiv.org.
    8. Yidan Liang, 2023. "The effect of capital and labour distortion on innovation," Accounting and Finance, Accounting and Finance Association of Australia and New Zealand, vol. 63(2), pages 1709-1737, June.
    9. Hongyun Zheng & Wanglin Ma, 2021. "The role of resource reallocation in promoting total factor productivity growth: Insights from China’s agricultural sector," Review of Development Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 25(4), pages 2350-2371, November.
    10. Xi, Qiangmin & Mei, Lin, 2022. "How did development zones affect China’s land transfers? The scale, marketization, and resource allocation effect," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 119(C).
    11. Kumari, Ranpati Dewage Thilini Sumudu & Chen, Shawn Xiaoguang & Li, Bei & Tang, Sam Hak Kan, 2023. "Can land misallocation be a greater barrier to development than capital? Evidence from manufacturing firms in Sri Lanka," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 126(C).
    12. Hu, Yiming & Xu, Mingxia, 2021. "Xi's anti-corruption campaign and the speed of capital structure adjustment," Pacific-Basin Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 65(C).
    13. Bruno Morando & Carol Newman, 2021. "Capital Misallocation, Agricultural Subsidies and Productivity: A European Perspective," Trinity Economics Papers tep0221, Trinity College Dublin, Department of Economics.
    14. Shuai Qin & Hong Chen & Tuyen Thi Tran & Haokun Wang, 2022. "Analysis of the Spatial Effect of Capital Misallocation on Agricultural Output—Taking the Main Grain Producing Areas in Northeast China as an Example," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(10), pages 1-17, May.
    15. Laiqun Jin & Changwei Mo & Bochao Zhang & Bing Yu, 2018. "What Is the Focus of Structural Reform in China?—Comparison of the Factor Misallocation Degree within the Manufacturing Industry with a Unified Model," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(11), pages 1-19, November.
    16. Xu, Jiangchuan & Wang, En-Ze, 2024. "The path to energy savings and CO2 emission reductions in China's industrial sector from the perspective of factor price distortions correction - Based on an extended capital vintage model," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 313(C).
    17. Tan, Ruipeng & Xu, Mengmeng & Sun, Chuanwang, 2021. "The impacts of energy reallocation on economic output and CO2 emissions in China," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 94(C).
    18. Norbert Ernst & Nico Pintar & Richard Sellner, 2023. "Resource Misallocation and TFP Gap Development in Austria (Richard Sellner, Nico Pintar, Norbert Ernst)," Working Papers 246, Oesterreichische Nationalbank (Austrian Central Bank).
    19. Ling-Yun He & Xiao-Feng Qi, 2021. "Resource Misallocation and Energy-Related Pollution," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(10), pages 1-19, May.
    20. Xuan Fei & Yumin Hu & Mingzhi (Jimmy) Xu, 2024. "Misallocation in the Chinese land market," Canadian Journal of Economics/Revue canadienne d'économique, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 57(4), pages 1360-1390, November.

    More about this item

    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:plo:pone00:0284191. 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: plosone (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/ .

    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.