The Industrial Convergence, Integration, or Syncretic Between China and the Countries along the B&R: Conceptual and Empirical Clarification

Abstract

This paper attempts to make conceptual and empirical clarifications between industrial convergence, integration and syncretic which are often used interchangeably in the current literature and few studies have clarified. Conceptually, this paper clarifies the concepts and defines that industrial integration is a process, while industrial convergence is an outcome and industrial syncretic, an effect. Employing the data spanning the period of 2005-2017 and covering China and other 64 countries which joined the Belt and Road (B&R) at the first round in 2014, this paper constructed different indexes to measure the development of industrial convergence, integration and syncretic and distinguish the varieties between those three concepts. The empirical results support the conceptual clarification and indicate that there are differences between the development of industrial convergence, integration and syncretic. Industrial convergence may not lead to industrial integration or syncretic, and vice versa. These findings are instructive as it would provide richer policy implications and also enlighten future research.