The Role of China's High-Tech Zones in Its Regional Economic Development

National high-tech industrial development zones represent a major strategy of the Chinese government in developing high-tech industries and spurring regional economic growth. The effect of this policy is yet to be proven. Based on the panel data of 283 Chinese cities between 1984 and 2012, this paper investigates the effect of high-tech zones on regional economic development. Empirical results suggest that first, national hightech zones have remarkably enhanced regional GDP and per capita GDP growth, and this conclusion still holds true after multiple rounds of robustness test; second, the economic effect of national high-tech zones is subject to diminishing marginal return and compared with higher-tier cities, lower-tier cities benefited more from the creation of national hightech zones. This paper concludes that national high-tech zones where special policies are experimented and offered not only drive economic development but, if properly distributed across regions, may help reduce regional economic disparities as well. The results of this study provide important implications for the future distribution of national high-tech zones and the creation of other relevant policies.

China’s Imports Technology Structure and Its Relationship with Trade Partners:1995-2011

This paper uses the latest data to analyze the historical patterns and the current situation of the technology structure of China＇ commodities imports, the structure of China＇s commodities imports from 19 countries and regions, and China＇s interdependent relationship with its trade partners on the basis of studying 230 kinds of manufactured products categorized by their technological intensity. The results show that during the period of 1995-2011, the share of low technology （low-tech） products and medium technology （medium-tech） products declined,＂ the share of primary products, resource- based products, and high technology （high-tech） products increased; high-tech products had taken the largest share, bypassing low-tech and medium-tech products, as early as 2000; different types of countries exported different kinds of commodities to China and had different positions in China＇s imports; China had relatively high interdependent relations with Japan, South Korea and China＇s Taiwan; China had relatively low interdependent relations with the United States, Germany, France and the Netherlands; China＇s import dependence on major developing countries and emerging developing countries was less than these countries＇ export dependence on China; China was the leading export destination for major developing countries and emerging developing countries. Generally speaking, the development of China＇s import trade is inclusive, and China shares its growth with other countries. It not only promotes developing countries＇exports but also enhances developed countries＇ exports.

Optimization and competition promotion of industrial structure in Blue Shandong Peninsula Economic Zone

Blue economic zone is a typical regional economic mode,which is specially characterized by marine economy and has multiple economic types coexisting and interacting through integrating marine and land resources.With the continuous progress of science and technology,marine economy as a strategy to promote economic development is approved in many countries.The Blue Shandong Peninsula Economic Zone(BSPEZ) reflects the local demands of economic development,and its upgrading and enhancing competitiveness of the industrial structure is also of obvious significance for enhancement of the development of eastern China and the national marine economy.This paper thinks that the BSPEZ has many advantages,such as unique marine economy,growing high-tech industries,more and more mature industrial system,advancing technological innovation,and outstanding big enterprises,large projects and regional bright brands,but it is also facing problems of low industry cluster,similar industrial structure with each other,still weak technological innovation.So we put forwards the basic approaches to upgrade and enhance the industrial structure:transforming and upgrading the traditional marine industries with advantages,accelerating the development of new marine industries and high-tech industries,integrating marine and land industry,and promoting the rational system arrangements.