Abstract:

Based on data from Chinese cities spanning the years 2016 to 2022, we examine the impact of digital economy policy on the high–quality development of urban economies. Utilizing the establishment of National–level Pilot Zones for Innovation and Development of Digital Economy in 2019 as a quasi–natural experiment, our findings robustly indicate that the construction of pilot zones facilitates high-quality economic development through mechanisms such as factor activation, shifts in kinetic energy, governance empowerment, and infrastructure-driven effects. Building upon this study, we find that the effect of pilot zone is particularly pronounced in cities characterized by non-resource-based , favorable R&D environments, larger scales, and higher levels of economic development. However, no significant heterogeneity is observed concerning geographic location. Spatial analysis reveals that the spillover effects generated by pilot zone construction surpass polarization effects and can effectively drive high–quality development in economically proximate cities. The insights presented in this paper contribute new perspectives and empirical evidence toward a nuanced understanding of the intricate relationship between digital economy policies and high–quality economic development. Furthermore, they offer innovative ideas and references for policy optimization and enhancement.

Key words:

digital economy, the National-level Pilot Zones for Innovation and Development of Digital Economy, high-quality economic development, quasi-natural experiment