Journal Introduction:China Finance Review International

Background The China Finance Review International is a flagship academic journal broadly covering the Chinese and international financial markets.The journal is founded by Antai College of Economics and Management at Shanghai Jiao Tong University,one of the top universities in Asia.The China Finance Review International aims to publish quality empirical and theoretical works on important financial and economic issues in the profession.We encourage ground-breaking research related to new and niche areas in finance,such as Fintech and cryptos,ESG,climate finance,and socially responsible investments.We welcome critiques of existing literature and comparative analysis between emerging markets and developed economies.

The Impact of Digital Finance on High-Quality Development of the Chengdu-Chongqing Economic Circle

This paper developed a comprehensive evaluation system that was able to quantify the levels of high-quality development across the cities within the Chengdu-Chongqing economic circle,and investigate the impact that digital finance had on the cities’high-quality development and the underlying mechanisms through which it achieved this.This comprehensive evaluation system was constructed using statistical data from these cities for the period 2014 to 2020 while also taking China’s high-quality development philosophy into account.The key findings revealed that:(a)Digital finance was able to significantly promote high-quality development in the Chengdu-Chongqing economic circle;(b)Digital finance had a significant positive effect in promoting innovative,coordinated,green,open,and shared development;(c)Digital finance was able to stimulate the high-quality development in the Chengdu-Chongqing economic circle by boosting entrepreneurial dynamism;(d)Digital finance had a significant impact on the high-quality development of the axis areas,while its impact was less discernible in non-axis areas.The insights from this research offer a deeper understanding of the factors that drive high-quality development,the role digital finance plays,and the mechanisms through which digital finance is able to propel high-quality development at the city cluster scale.

Synergistic dance of digital economy and green finance on carbon emissions:Insights from China

China has recently implemented a dual-carbon strategy to combat climate change and other environmental issues and is committed to modernizing it sustainably.This paper supports these goals and explores how the digital economy and green finance intersect and impact carbon emissions.Using panel data from 30 Chinese provinces over the period 2011-2021,this paper finds that the digital economy and green finance can together reduce carbon emissions,and conducts several robustness tests supporting this conclusion.A heterogeneity analysis shows that these synergistic effects are more important in regions with low levels of social consumption Meanwhile,in the spatial dimension,the synergistic effect of the local digital economy and green finance adversely impacts the level of carbon emissions in surrounding areas.The findings of this paper provide insights for policymakers in guiding capital flow and implementing carbon-reduction policies while fostering the growth of China’s digital economy and environmental sustainability.

Research on the Coordinated Development of Inclusive Finance and Financing for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises

As an important force in promoting economic and social development,small and medium-sized enterprises play a crucial role in enhancing China’s economic strength,creating employment opportunities,and promoting industrial structural transformation.However,due to their inherent weaknesses,small and medium-sized enterprises often face difficulties in financing within the traditional financial service system.This makes it difficult for small and medium-sized enterprises to inject vitality into the development of the market economy by expanding their financing scale.Since 2013,China has vigorously developed inclusive finance and extended the services of traditional financial institutions to small and medium-sized enterprises,providing policy guidance,resource support,and technical support to alleviate the financing difficulties of small and medium-sized enterprises.Based on this,this article focuses on the current financing problems faced by small and medium-sized enterprises and specifically elaborates on how to lower the financing threshold for small and medium-sized enterprises and broaden their financing channels through inclusive finance,in order to promote the development of inclusive finance and a virtuous cycle of financing for small and medium-sized enterprises.

Developing Domestic Offshore Finance to Meet the Needs of the Real Economy

In recent years,there has been a gradual upsurge in the international use of RMB in China's real economy,leading to a growing potential demand for offshore RMB international settlement,deposits and loans,and other financial services.Against such a background,the development of domestic offshore finance with RMB as the main transaction currency is beneficial to meet these financial needs and promote the high-quality development of the real economy.The key to developing domestic offshore finance in China is to deeply understand the needs of the real economy,vigorously develop offshore RMB businesses and products,build an offshore RMB financial system,facilitate the global layout of China's real economy,and steadily advance the internationalization of RMB.

The Macroeconomic Impact of Internet Finance

This paper investigates the macroeconomic impacts of Internet finance,highlighting its advantages and challenges.Internet finance,a fusion of Internet technology with traditional financial practices,introduces innovative models for global asset management,capital financing,payments,investments,and intermediary services.While it enhances the accessibility and efficiency of financial services,it also introduces new risks,such as higher credit default rates.This study explores how Internet finance contributes to financial inclusivity and macroeconomic growth yet poses potential threats to traditional financial stability.The dual aspects of Internet finance are analyzed:its application in existing processes and its capacity to generate novel business models.Furthermore,the paper proposes strategic responses to mitigate the negative impacts of Internet finance,mainly focusing on risk management and regulatory improvements to safeguard economic stability.

Green Finance Promotes High-Quality Development of Regional Economy

With the rapid development of the social economy,the role of green finance in promoting the high-quality development of regional economies is increasing day by day.The advancement of green finance not only aids in fostering the green transformation and upgrading of regional economies but also helps mitigate the risks of environmental damage stemming from traditional economic activities.In this new era,it is imperative to embrace the concept of green finance development and innovate green finance practices to further drive high-quality regional economic development.This paper will analyze the significance of green finance in regional economic development,assess the current state of green finance development,and propose optimization strategies for green finance to facilitate high-quality economic development.

Research on the Impact of Digital Finance on Energy Efficiency in China

Digital finance and green technology innovation(GTI)serve as powerful engines for promoting energy efficiency(EE)and economic development.This paper explores the mechanism by which digital finance impacts EE based on panel data from 30 provinces in China spanning from 2011 to 2019.The results demonstrate that digital finance can significantly enhance EE,with a particularly pronounced effect in the eastern region.Through mechanistic analysis,it is evident that GTI serves as the transmission pathway through which digital finance influences EE,accounting for 45.3%of the effect.The policy implication of this study suggests that China should expedite the digitization of financial markets to further harness the development of digital finance,particularly in pursuit of its technological innovation and green,lowcarbon environmental protection effects.

A Mechanism for Digital Finance to Drive Green and Low-Carbon Development

Given the global focus on green and low-carbon development and the increasing prominence of digital finance,it is particularly important to explore how to leverage digital finance to achieve these environmental goals.This study,through mechanism analysis,deeply examines how China’s digital finance promotes green and low-carbon development and elucidates the positive interaction between digital finance and the green industry.The study found that digital finance,through more flexible and efficient financial functions,alters the cost structure of carbon emissions,and reduces the risks and costs of green investments,thereby creating a cooperative green mechanism benefiting all parties,and guiding social groups toward a green and low-carbon transformation.Additionally,the rapid development of digital finance has strengthened the implementation of environmental protection policies,effectively promoted the expansion of the environmental protection industry,and established the green ethos as a mainstream concept in financial development.This study aims to provide reference perspectives and suggestions,assist policymakers in promoting the green and lowcarbon development of digital finance,and offer insights into the integrated development of digital finance and the green environmental protection industry.

The Logic of Digital Finance in the Age of Digital Economy

This paper explores the development logic,trends,and challenges of digital finance in the era of the digital economy.As a crucial component of the digital economy,digital finance has completely transformed the traditional financial services model through factors such as technological innovation,data intelligence,and personalized user experiences,paving the way for new business models and market opportunities.However,the rapid development of digital finance also faces challenges such as competition,security,and regulation.This paper emphasizes the importance of finding a balance between innovation and security in the development of digital finance and discusses the potential of digital finance in promoting financial inclusion and sustainable development.Through comprehensive analysis,this paper aims to provide valuable insights for academic researchers and industry practitioners,promoting the healthy development of digital finance.

Rice vs.Wheat:How Rice Farming Shaped Informal Finance in China

China’s financial system is characterized by the coexistence of both formal and informal finance,and informal finance appears to be more prevalent in the south of the country compared to the north.In this paper,we use the historical demarcation of rice-farming regions and the percentage area of rice sown to ascertain the regional distribution of rice farming in the south and wheat farming in the north in order to analyze the role of rice farming in the evolution of different types of financial institutions in China.We find that rice cultivation has a positive effect on informal financial development,though its impact on formal finance is insignificant.Unlike wheat farming,rice cultivation requires farmers to collaborate during busy farming seasons and necessitates the construction of irrigation systems.Such collaboration helped enhance an acquaintance society,in which both parties to transactions enforced the rules and contract terms of their own initiative,paving the way for informal finance.This paper not only demonstrates the cultural roots of the regional financial disparities in China but also expands the research on the ways in which farming practices from the past have shaped the development of China’s present financial markets.

The Digital Inclusive Finance and Enterprise Innovation:Evidence From A-Share Market

In China,the integration of digital technology and finance has gradually formed a digital supply mode of inclusive finance,which alleviates the financing limitations of small and medium-sized businesses to a certain extent and is significant for enterprise innovation activities that need financial support.Under the National Innovation-driven Development Strategy,it is particularly meaningful to evaluate whether digital inclusive finance can foster company innovation.This article empirically evaluates the impact of digital inclusive finance on firm innovation and development using data from all listed companies on the Shanghai Stock Exchange and Shenzhen Stock Exchange from 2011 to 2018 together with the city level digital inclusive finance index.The result shows how digital inclusive financing may support businesses’innovative processes,and its role in promoting innovation differs among enterprises of different scales,but such heterogeneity effect can be absorbed by industry effect and time effect.The result of this paper sheds lights on the role of digital inclusive finance in improving enterprise performance by solving the financing dilemma of them,and according to the empirical results,this paper suggests that the support for digital inclusive finance should be further improved in order to promote the good and healthy development of the real economy,which refers to the part of a country’s economy that produces goods and services,rather than the part that consists of financial services such as banks and stock markets.

Inclusive Finance,Income Gaps and Common Prosperity

According to the Report to the 20^(th) CPC National Congress,delivering common prosperity for all the people is an intrinsic requirement of Chinese modernization.Based on China Household Finance Survey(CHFS)data from 2015 to 2019,this study examines the effects of inclusive finance on China’s household income disparities and demonstrates how inclusive finance contributes to shared prosperity.Our empirical research reveals that inclusive finance has significantly decreased the income disparities between Chinese households.Inclusive finance has significantly increased the income levels of households below the 40^(th) percentile,making it more likely for them to move above the 40^(th) percentile of incomes,which is conducive to delivering common prosperity.Our analysis indicates that inclusive finance will reduce income disparities by assisting low-income households in starting a business and by promoting rural household employment.Reflecting its inclusive nature,further investigation reveals that inclusive finance has a greater positive impact on the income level of vulnerable households.Our research offers new evidence for comprehending the role of inclusive finance and a new interpretation of income disparities,with policy implications for accelerating Chinese modernization.

Dilemmas and Prospects of the World Bank’s Climate Finance

Currently,the World Bank is carrying out a new round of reforms for climate finance.In December 2022,the World Bank released the Evolutionary Roadmap(the Roadmap),in which the proposed climate finance reform program was introduced.In February 2023,then President Malpas,a climate change skeptic,announced that he was stepping down from his post,and Ajay Banga,a former advisor to the Climate Investment Funds(CIFs).

Teaching Reform and Practice of Finance under the Background of New Liberal Arts

Under the background of new liberal arts,the problems existing in the teaching process of Finance were re-examined.For instance,the setting of teaching objectives does not meet the requirements of construction of new liberal arts,and teaching content emphasizes theory;teaching method is single,and teaching assessment is not reasonable.It is proposed that the curriculum reform should be carried out from five dimensions:teaching objective,teaching content,teaching method,practice system and teaching evaluation,so as to meet the requirements of construction of new liberal arts.

Energy Companies’Green Finance Strategies in the Context of Carbon Neutrality

In September 2020,Chinese President Xi Jinping solemnly announced the goal of“carbon peaking and carbon neutrality”.Carbon neutrality and green transition requires not only political promotion and fiscal support,but also social capital investment in green industries.Green financing is also an effective way to promote the low-carbon development of China’s energy companies.In this paper,on the basis of defining green finance,we reviewed the policies of green finance in China,described various tools of green finance,summarized green finance business of energy companies,and made case studies.This research combined macro policy and market,and micro industry and enterprise.

SEIZING GREEN FINANCE DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES

The China-Singapore(Chongqing)Connectivity Initiative Financial Summit is a landmark achievement of China-Singapore cooperation.The fifth edition was held in Chongqing and Singapore simultaneously on April 20.Twelve main activities and nine themed activities took place with focus on China-Singapore financial cooperation,Belt and Road cooperation,and other issues.At a sub-forum on“promoting reform and innovation in green finance for green and low-carbon development,”financial experts from China and ASEAN countries shared their wisdom and philosophies with the audience.

Regional green finance development and local green innovation:Evidence from a quasi-natural experiment of green bond issuance in China

Based on provincial panel data in China from 2008 to 2019, this research takes the issuance of China's green bond as a quasi-natural experiment to explore whether China's regional green finance development promotes local green innovation by using the multi-period DID model. The results show that the regional green financial development can promote local green innovation, and the rapid growth of the green bond market driven by policy does improve environmental sound technology innovation. The promotion of regional green finance development to local green innovation is related to the funds allocation of green credit,but not to the issuance scale of green bonds, according to further analysis, because China's development pattern can lead to a lack of endogenous market power and low credit resource allocation efficiency. In addition, the issuance of green bonds can effectively promote the allocation of green credit funds, thus enhancing the local green innovation level, but it can't reduce local carbon emissions through promoting green innovation. Therefore, the government should strengthen the green finance implementation assessment mechanism, taking into account the heterogeneity of regions and enterprises, complete the green finance monitoring and disclosure system, and increase the rate of green technology conversion.

High-quality Development Path of Henan Agriculture and Rural Areas Empowered by Digital Inclusive Finance

By studying high-quality development process of Henan agriculture and rural areas empowered by digital inclusive finance,it is found that the construction of digital financial infrastructure in Henan Province is relatively complete,and the level of deposit and loan of rural enterprises and farmers is constantly improving,and the market and government are constantly upgrading the financial risk insurance compensation mechanism.At the same time,there are also problems such as insufficient demand and supply of digital finance,single digital financial products,and weak market supervision.Based on this,some implementation paths are proposed,such as continuing to strengthen the construction of rural financial infrastructure in Henan Province,improving farmers’financial literacy,and enriching digital financial products and services.The government should continue to improve the construction of market system,and broaden the market supervision and management,to actively promote the digitalization of agricultural finance to enable the high-quality development of agriculture and rural areas in Henan Province.

Open banking and inclusive finance in the European Union:perspectives from the Dutch stakeholder ecosystem

In the European Union(EU),the revised Payment Services Directive(PSD2)aims to provide more convenient and customized financial products through open banking(OB)platforms.However,little attention has been paid to the role of OB in improving the financial well-being of the growing number of the EU’s underserved groups,which currently constitute approximately a quarter of its population.This study examines how the PSD2 and OB impact inclusive finance in the EU based on the perspectives of the Netherlands’ecosystem,one of the leaders in the EU’s financial technology(FinTech)landscape.A fundamental distinction can be drawn between the OB users and the ecosystem’s players.Regarding the impact of financial services on the users’inclusivity,while the PSD2 strengthens the infrastructure necessary for financial inclusion,many challenges remain,mainly because it was not designed for this purpose.This study identifies several areas of improvement that include adjustments to the know your customer and anti-money laundering processes for underserved customers,innovative ways to communicate the PSD2’s potential,and the regulation of technology providers’activities to build trust.Meanwhile,from the ecosystem’s position,there is a need to strengthen and improve microfinance regulation according to the opportunities provided by the PSD2 to support microfinance institutions(MFIs)in scaling up and reaching underserved clients across borders with innovative services.OB improvements can also be achieved by organizations formed by MFIs and FinTechs in collaboration with banks.Such hybrid institutions will combine the best features of each of them:knowledge of the needs of local underserved clients from MFIs,technological innovations from FinTechs,and large and trusted customer bases,infrastructures,and access to institutional investments and governments from banks.Finally,an EU inclusive OB sector depends on the centrality of trusted regulators as coordination bodies.The PSD2 requires adjustments for underserved populations’specific needs.OB improvements can be achieved by organizations formed by MFIs and Fin-Techs in collaboration with banks.Regulated technical service providers(TSPs)are crucial to building trust and customer adoption in OB.The European Banking Authority(EBA)may function as coordination body to design inclusive rules by engaging with OB stakeholders.As inclusive finance moves into open-finance and data eras,an increasing regulatory complexity and scope will require networks of innovative and trusted regulators.