National Quality and Sustainable Development: An Empirical Analysis Based on China’s Provincial Panel Data

Abstract

Based on panel data of Chinese provinces from 2011 to 2020, this paper presents empirical research on the quantitative relationship between China’s national quality and sustainable development. Moreover, this research is implemented under the index system of national quality competitiveness. Firstly, a system for assessing national quality level is established, and the factor analysis method is applied to comprehensively analyze each province’s national quality; this produces a national quality score for each province. Secondly, an Index of Sustainable Economic Welfare (ISEW) and calculation methods are created. Thirdly, the Pearson Correlation Coefficient is employed to explore the relationship between the national quality of Chinese provinces and the sustainability of their economic development. Finally, the test of Granger causality (panel data) is applied to further analyze the interplay between national quality indexes and sustainable economic development. As the research results indicate, national quality can comprehensively impact sustainable economic development at any economic level, as well as its sustainable capability. National quality can still comprehensively affect the sustainable development of the economy. Nevertheless, sustainable economic growth does not affect all elements of national quality, especially at the level of morality. Additionally, the positive influence of sustainable economic development on national quality is limited and lags behind. Based on the results of our empirical analysis, several policy recommendations are given to improve China’s national quality and sustainable economic development.

The Impact of Vertical Fiscal Imbalances and Local Government Tax Efforts on the Quality of Economic Development—A Study Based on Threshold Regression and Simultaneous Equation Models

“…Recently, the quality of economic development in China has attracted much research interest; for instance, Chen and Huo [11], Mao et al [12], Xiao et al [13] and Li et al [14], to name just a few. In particular, Chen and Huo [11] have formulated an extensive assessment framework for China's high-quality economic development indicators, grounded in the principles of innovation, coordination, environmental consciousness, openness, and collaboration.…”

“…The empirical findings underscore the significant role played by China's innovation-driven strategy in enhancing the quality of economic development. Meanwhile, drawing from panel data spanning Chinese provinces from 2011 to 2020, Li et al [14] present empirical findings on the quantitative correlation between China's national quality and sustainable development. Notably, the results of the panel data Granger causality analysis suggest that national quality indexes possess the capacity to significantly influence sustainable economic development across all economic tiers, along with their sustainable capabilities.…”

Housing Market and Household Consumption in Urban China: A Debt Perspective

“…Scholars point out that property tax policy [23], and economic policy uncertainty [24], can significantly influence household consumption. Other external environmental determinants of household consumption encompass housing prices [25], transportation infrastructure [26], urbanization [27], and population structure [28].…”

Influence of Green Investment on China’s Sustainable Development

“…Many approaches to these concepts attempt to reconcile this paradox and address the dialectic between development and sustainability [4]. Most of the existing studies have focused on sustainable development in specific regions and areas, such as countries, regions, and cities [5][6][7][8][9], and industries, energy, and the environment [10][11][12][13], focusing on the theoretical connotation of sustainable development, the construction of indicators, comprehensive evaluation, influencing factors, and response strategies [8]. For example, at the national level, Madurai Elavarasan et al (2022) developed a new Sustainable Development Goal or Energy Sustainability Composite Index to assess the energy sustainability performance of European countries [14].…”