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Does Digital Financial Inclusion Have an Impact on High-Quality Development of Trade? Evidence from China

Author

Listed:
  • Feiyu Liu

    (Chongqing Technology and Business University)

  • Shiyue Yang

    (Chongqing Technology and Business University)

  • Yacheng Zhou

    (Zhejiang Wanli University)

  • Weidong Huo

    (Chongqing Technology and Business University)

  • Ling Zhu

    (Chongqing Technology and Business University)

Abstract

This paper selects China’s provincial panel data in 2016–2020, innovatively constructs a comprehensive evaluation index system for the level of high-quality development of trade, adopts the entropy method to determine the level of high-quality development of trade in each province, empirically examines the impact of digital financial inclusion on high-quality development of trade, and conducts a robustness test by the topsis method. The results show that (1) overall digital financial inclusion is conducive to promoting high-quality development of trade. (2) In all three dimensions, the depth of use and the degree of digitalization significantly and positively contribute to the high-quality development of trade, and the positive effect of the breadth of coverage is not obvious. (3) At the sub-regional level, there is heterogeneity in the role of digital financial inclusion, and the degree of digitalization in the central and western regions has not yet played a significant positive role compared to the eastern regions. Based on the above research, this paper argues that the policy support system should be further improved in general, the technical support for financial data centers should be promoted, the construction of risk management systems should be strengthened, the coverage of financial services and the level of inclusion should be enhanced, and the focus should be on strengthening the construction of the digital infrastructure in the central and western regions in order to realize the convenience of digital financial inclusion.

Suggested Citation

  • Feiyu Liu & Shiyue Yang & Yacheng Zhou & Weidong Huo & Ling Zhu, 2025. "Does Digital Financial Inclusion Have an Impact on High-Quality Development of Trade? Evidence from China," Journal of the Knowledge Economy, Springer;Portland International Center for Management of Engineering and Technology (PICMET), vol. 16(1), pages 788-816, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:jknowl:v:16:y:2025:i:1:d:10.1007_s13132-024-02015-7
    DOI: 10.1007/s13132-024-02015-7
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