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While there is a large literature on the determinants of generalized trust, few studies have explored the impact of internal migration and attempted to tackle potential endogeneity issues. Using nationally representative data from the latest five rounds of the China General Society Survey, this paper estimates the impact of internal migration on generalized trust by exploiting arguably exogenous, historical changes in the GDP growth target set by the government and the share of migrants at the county level. We find evidence of a significant negative impact of internal migration on generalized trust. We also investigate the moderating role of Internet use, and find that whilst Internet use significantly attenuates the negative impact on generalized trust of internal migration, this moderating effect is much stronger for urban-to-urban migrants than it is for rural-to-urban migrants. The results further indicate that internal migration in China has led to the deterioration of subjective well-being, changing perceptions of fairness, increased likelihood of downward social mobility, and deterioration in social relations, which we interpret as potential mechanisms behind our findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous studies investigating the health consequences of migration often face difficulties choosing a proper comparison group and tackling the problems of potential endogeneity and self-selection bias. Using propensity score matching difference-in-differences and an instrumental variable approach, this paper examines the impact of internal migration on the health of rural migrants in China. We find robust evidence of a significant negative effect of internal migration on rural migrants' health. We also find significant heterogeneity in the impact across different age groups. Younger migrants aged between 16 and 35 are most likely to experience health decline following migration. In addition, we find that the key mechanisms through which internal migration affects the health of rural migrants are the changes in emotional state and social trust. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using nationally representative data from the 2017 China Migrants Dynamic Survey, this study investigated the mediating role of place attachment and the moderating role of spatial pattern in the association between local network ties and urban settlement intentions among rural-to-urban migrants. We found that local ties were positively associated with urban settlement intention measured by permanent settlement intention (PSI) and place attachment served as a mediating mechanism of this relationship. Results from the moderated path analysis showed that spatial pattern of migration positively moderated the linkage between local ties and PSI, indicating that beneficial role of local ties in urban settlement was more pronounced for inter-provincial migrants than for intra-provincial migrants. This study enhances our understanding of the association between social ties and migrant settlement, elucidating the conditions under which these effects are more pronounced in the context of internal migration. We thus call for a more targeted policy design aimed at integrating rural-to-urban migrants into local communities and eliminating the welfare gaps between migrants and local residents through appropriate intervention measures. • This study explored the linkage between local ties and urban settlement intentions. • Local ties were positively associated with permanent settlement intention (PSI). • Place attachment served as a mediating mechanism. • The positive association between local ties and PSI was more pronounced for inter-provincial migrants. • Local ties ranked second, following the impact of college education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]