自由贸易试验区促进了城市数字经济发展吗?——来自准自然实验的证据

Does Pilot Free Trade Zone Promote the Development of Urban Digital Economy?Evidence from Quasi-natural Experiments

基于2011—2019年中国城市面板数据,以多期双重差分法分析自由贸易试验区对试点城市数字经济水平的政策效应与驱动机制。研究结果表明:第一,自由贸易试验区显著促进了试点城市数字经济水平的提升,且该结论在一系列稳健性检验中均成立。第二,在影响机制方面,自由贸易试验区通过区域创新提升效应、市场环境改善效应和数字产业集聚效应的调节作用,显著促进了试点城市数字经济水平的提升。第三,异质性分析表明,自由贸易试验区对试点城市数字经济水平的促进作用更能体现在沿海自由贸易试验区,且随着设立批次往后,自由贸易试验区对试点城市数字经济水平提升的政策效应逐渐减弱。

Based on the panel data of Chinese cities from 2011 to 2019,the policy effect and driving mechanism of pilot free trade zone on the digital economy of pilot cities are analyzed by using multi-period DID method.The results show as follows:Firstly,pilot free trade zone has significantly promoted the increase of the digital economy of pilot cities,and this conclusion is valid in a series of robustness tests.Secondly,in terms of influencing mechanism,pilot free trade zone has significantly promoted the digital economy of the pilot cities through the promoting effect of regional innovation,improvement effect of market environment and the moderating effect of digital industry agglomeration.Thirdly,heterogeneity analysis shows that the promotion effect of pilot free trade zone on the digital economy of pilot cities is more significant in coastal zones,and the policy effect gradually declines with the time to set up the zones.