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This study aims to investigate the influence of digital financial inclusion on China's urban–rural income disparity. A comparative analysis on income differences between western and eastern regions in China was conducted in this paper. The study utilized a static panel approach as it consisted of 22 provinces in China that covered the period from 2011 to 2020. This paper employs Stata software for the data analysis. The dependent variable of this study is the urban–rural income gap. Meanwhile, the independent variables consist of the total index level, breadth of coverage, depth of use, degree of digitization, digital payment level, digital insurance level, and digital credit level. The control variables employed in this article are education level, financial support, economic transformation, technological progress, and trade openness. The empirical outcomes indicate that the seven independent variables potentially minimize the urban–rural income gap between the two regions. However, digital financial inclusion appears to have a more significant effect in lessening the urban–rural gap in the western region compared to the eastern region in China. The findings demonstrate that all the variables exhibit a higher degree of influence on the urban–rural income differences in the west than in the east, except for the credit index. The outcome reveals that the effect of the credit index in the western region (0.10%) is slightly lower than the eastern region (0.11%). In general, the present findings can provide valuable insights for policy makers in their efforts to address the urban–rural income gap in the two regions through the implementation of digital financial inclusion initiatives. The study should be conducted regularly to observe the trend of the income disparities between the western and eastern regions in China. Future studies can also focus on other regions or narrow the focus to provincial and city levels to capture more detailed information. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to investigate the influence of digital financial inclusion on China’s urban–rural income disparity. A comparative analysis on income differences between western and eastern regions in China was conducted in this paper. The study utilized a static panel approach as it consisted of 22 provinces in China that covered the period from 2011 to 2020. This paper employs Stata software for the data analysis. The dependent variable of this study is the urban–rural income gap. Meanwhile, the independent variables consist of the total index level, breadth of coverage, depth of use, degree of digitization, digital payment level, digital insurance level, and digital credit level. The control variables employed in this article are education level, financial support, economic transformation, technological progress, and trade openness. The empirical outcomes indicate that the seven independent variables potentially minimize the urban–rural income gap between the two regions. However, digital financial inclusion appears to have a more significant effect in lessening the urban–rural gap in the western region compared to the eastern region in China. The findings demonstrate that all the variables exhibit a higher degree of influence on the urban–rural income differences in the west than in the east, except for the credit index. The outcome reveals that the effect of the credit index in the western region (0.10%) is slightly lower than the eastern region (0.11%). In general, the present findings can provide valuable insights for policy makers in their efforts to address the urban–rural income gap in the two regions through the implementation of digital financial inclusion initiatives. The study should be conducted regularly to observe the trend of the income disparities between the western and eastern regions in China. Future studies can also focus on other regions or narrow the focus to provincial and city levels to capture more detailed information.

This study examines the influence of industrial structure upgrading in China on urban-rural income disparity. Using panel data from 30 provinces with the empirical analysis methodology, we find that, during 2013 and 2018, industrial structure upgrading in China plays a significantly positive role in narrowing urban-rural income disparity. By the mechanism analysis, we find that urbanization rate is an intermediary variable which affects this causation. Further, urbanization in industrial structure upgrading for the influence of narrowing rural-urban income disparity existing in threshold effects, and threshold levels present a regional difference. Using the urban-rural consumption gap as the proxy variable of income gap, the result is still stable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The challenging concern regarding how the benefits of inbound tourism can be evenly distributed, especially among urban and rural individuals, has received considerable attention in China. To address this concern, a spatial econometrics approach is used to estimate the spillover effects of inbound tourism on urban–rural income disparity (URID). An empirical analysis using the spatial Durbin model was conducted for 31 Chinese provinces covering the period from 2003 to 2017. Our findings suggest that at the national level, local inbound tourism significantly reduces the local URID, while neighboring inbound tourism significantly increases the local URID. At the regional level, the role of inbound tourism in reducing the local URID is only detected in the western region. The spillover effects of inbound tourism are positive and significant in the eastern/northeastern region but negative in the western region. In general, these findings provide insights into the importance of interregional tourism policies and strategies for inbound tourism development in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• We construct an innovative index that combines the network accessibility and connectivity to measure HSR. • At the whole-YRD level, HSR network alleviates the urban-rural income disparity and exhibits a stronger positive impact on the rural residents' income. • This study finds spatiotemporally heterogeneous impacts of HSR network on urban–rural income disparity by employing GWR, TWR and GTWR models. • The varying effect is in view of differences in tertiary-industry development and economic growth. The socioeconomic effects of China's fast-growing high-speed railways (HSRs) have become a popular issue in recent decades. However, few studies have examined how HSRs alleviate the urban–rural income disparity temporally and spatially; the current research addresses this gap in the literature from novel network accessibility and connectivity perspectives. Using different spatiotemporal models to analyze the Yangtze River Delta in China, the main findings are as follows: (1) there is evidence that the HSR network alleviates the urban–rural income disparity and exhibits a stronger positive impact on rural residents' income; (2) compared with HSR accessibility, HSR connectivity affects the income disparity in a more significant manner; (3) due to its advantage in capturing the spatiotemporal heterogeneities of HSR's impact, the geographically and temporally weighted regression (GTWR) model demonstrates a higher accuracy than other models; (4) the GTWR model results show that the HSR network affects the income disparity both negatively and insignificantly in Northern Jiangsu or Southwestern Zhejiang, while this effect is significant in other regions; and (5) further empirical evidence indicates that this varying effect is in light of differences in tertiary industry development and economic growth. These findings provide a novel opinion of HSR's socioeconomic effects and present useful empirical support for solving the serious urban–rural income disparity problem in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Considering the prevalence of income distribution between urban and rural areas especially in autonomous regions with specific ethnic features and relatively inferior economic conditions, and the probable role of tourism and FDI in reducing urban–rural income disparity, it is academically and practically critical to examine a combined role of tourism and FDI on urban–rural income disparity in autonomous regions in comparison with those effects in other provinces. Thus, this study aims to compare the interaction effect of tourism and FDI on alleviating urban–rural income disparity in autonomous regions with other provinces in China. This study used fixed effects regression models, employing 423 province-year observations composed of 30 provinces including five autonomous regions from 1993 to 2014. To accomplish research purposes, this study employs tourism income, FDI, and autonomous region dummy as main independent variables. And, the ratio of urban to rural consumption expenditures is included as a dependent variable. The result of this study shows that the interaction effect between tourism and FDI on reducing urban–rural income disparity in autonomous regions is significantly greater than other provinces. Based on this result, autonomous regions can optimize the effect of tourism on mitigating urban–rural income disparity through the adequate utilization of FDI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Drawing on a cross-provincial panel dataset from 2004 to 2010, and grounded in urban-bias theory, this study analyzes the extent to which China's urban–rural income disparity is determined by factor allocation and urbanization. It empirically tests whether such associations vary between provinces and change over time by considering the presence of spatial dependence and heterogeneity. The results of panel data regression first indicate that differences in factor allocation are major contributors to the enlargement of urban–rural income disparity, and urbanization narrows this income gap. Nonetheless, spatial and temporal differences in such impacts are observed using a geographically weighted regression technique. Educational resource allocation only exerts an effect in many eastern and central provinces, with its influence increasing during the period, whereas the impact of capital allocation is obvious in most western provinces and remains relatively stable. In addition, government spending allocation is increasingly effective in most central and western provinces, yet the influence of financial resource allocation is weakening. Finally, urbanization has an enduring impact on all provinces. The policy implications of these findings are discussed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

We examine the relationship between urban-rural income disparities and development in a panel data set of 30 provinces and regional subsets of China during the period of 1978 to 2006. There is an inverted-U relationship between the urban-rural income gap and per capita Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Financial development by scale widens the urban-rural income gap in all regional samples, while financial sector efficiency and rural bank loans may reduce it in some regions. Government spending raises the urban-rural income gap as well. We also examine the effects of urbanization, openness and education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cao H. Urban-rural income disparity and urbanization: what is the role of spatial distribution of ethnic groups? A case study of Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region in Western China, Regional Studies. Since economic reforms in 1978, China's economic growth and urbanization has occurred alongside dramatic increases in regional inequality, and a corollary threat to sustainable development and social cohesion. Using the case study of Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region in Western China, this research clearly demonstrates that the spatial distribution of ethnic minorities reflects not only their spatial segregation, but also the degree of their socio-economic exclusion from the majority. As the income gap between the minority and majority population increases, the inclusion of minorities in the country's economic reforms is becoming increasingly critical for the future development of China. [image omitted] Cao H. Urbains L'ecart des revenus urbains-ruraux: quel role la distribution geographique des groupes ethniques joue-t-elle? Etude de cas de la region autonome de Xinjiang Uyghur dans l'ouest de la Chine, Regional Studies. Depuis les reformes economiques de 1978, la croissance economique et l'urbanisation de la Chine sont allees de pair avec un creusement des inegalites regionales et une menace corollaire pour le developpement durable et pour la cohesion sociale. A partir d'une etude de cas de la region autonome de Xinjiang Uyghur, la recherche montre bien que la distribution geographique des minorites ethniques reflete non seulement leur segregation geographique, mais aussi l'importance de leur exclusion socio-economique de la majorite. Au fur et a mesure que l'ecart se creuse, l'inclusion des minorites dans les reformes economiques du pays devient de plus en plus critique pour ce qui est du developpement futur de la Chine. Ecart des revenus urbano-ruraux Urbanisation Distribution geographique Groupes ethniques Xinjiang Ouest de la Chine Cao H. Einkommensdisparitat zwischen Stadt und Land und Urbanisierung: Welche Rolle spielt die raumliche Verteilung ethnischer Gruppen? Eine Fallstudie in der autonomen Region Xinjiang Uyghur in Westchina, Regional Studies. Seit den Wirtschaftsreformen von 1978 wurden das Wirtschaftswachstum und die Urbanisierung in China von dramatischen Steigerungen der regionalen Ungleichheit und einer daraus folgenden Bedrohung der nachhaltigen Entwicklung und gesellschaftlichen Kohasion begleitet. Anhand einer Fallstudie in der autonomen Region Xinjiang Uyghur weisen wir mit unserer Studie eindeutig nach, dass sich in der raumlichen Verteilung ethnischer Minderheiten nicht nur deren raumliche Segregation widerspiegelt, sondern auch das Ausmass ihrer soziookonomischen Abgrenzung von der Mehrheit. Mit einem steigenden Einkommensgefalle zwischen der Bevolkerungsminderheit und -mehrheit wird auch die Integration von Minderheiten in die Wirtschaftsreformen des Landes zunehmend wichtig fur die kunftige Entwicklung Chinas. Einkommensdisparitat zwischen Stadt und Land Urbanisierung Raumliche Verteilung Ethnische Gruppen Xinjiang Westchina Cao H. Desigualdades de ingresos urbanos-rurales y urbanizacion: ¿Cual es el papel de la distribucion espacial de los grupos etnicos? Un estudio de caso de la region autonoma de Xinjiang Uyghur en China occidental, Regional Studies. Desde las reformas economicas de 1978, el crecimiento economico y la urbanizacion de China han estado acompanados de aumentos considerables de las desigualdades regionales, y como corolario una amenaza al desarrollo sostenible y la cohesion social. Con ayuda de un estudio de caso de la region autonoma de Xinjiang Uyghur, en nuestra investigacion demostramos claramente que la distribucion espacial de las minorias etnicas son un reflejo no solo de su segregacion espacial sino tambien del grado de su exclusion socioeconomico de la mayoria. Segun aumenta la diferencia de ingresos entre la minoria y la mayoria de la poblacion, la inclusion de minorias en las reformas economicas del pais es cada vez mas importante para el futuro desarrollo de China. Desigualdad de ingresos urbanos-rurales Urbanizacion Distribucion espacial Grupos etnicos Xinjiang China occidental [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

鉴于我国的城乡二元结构， 本文使用泰尔指数度量和刻画我国的城乡收入差距及其变化特征。同时， 本文设定了非线性阈值协整模型， 以揭示我国改革开放以来城乡收入差距与实际经济增长的长期非线性关系。结果表明， 长期非线性阈值关系在泰尔指数为0.100（阈值）处发生机制转移：1978-1991年， 我国城乡收入差距对实际增长的长期效应为正；1992-1999年， 收入差距对实际增长的效应由正向负平滑转换；1999年后， 我国城乡收入差距对实际经济增长产生阻滞作用， 且负效应呈逐年增加趋势。 Given China's dual urban-rural structure, this paper employs the Theil index for measuring and depicting China's urban-rural income disparity and its characteristics. Furthermore, this paper specifies a nonlinear threshold cointegration model to reveals a nonlinear relationship between the urban-rural income gap and real economic growth over a long period since reform and opening up in China. Our results show that the regime switch of the long-term nonlinear threshold relationship takes place at the 0.100 (threshold value) of the Theil index. From 1978 to 1991, the long-term effect of the urban- rural income disparity on China's economic growth was positive; between 1992 and 1999, there was a smooth transition to a negative effect; and from 1999 on, the negative effect has been increasing year by year. Income disparity now has the effect of retarding China's real economic growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although the effects of transport infrastructure on regional development have been widely discussed, the relationship between transport infrastructure and urban–rural income disparities has scarcely been examined. This study provides new evidence of those disparities by looking at 227 prefectural-level cities in China in 2016. We found that national, provincial and municipal roads played a positive role in narrowing the urban–rural income gap by facilitating rural labour mobility. The high coefficient of provincial and municipal roads indicates that they provide access to local and regional job markets for migrant farmers. The impact of roads is most remarkable in China's southwestern and middle regions, demonstrating that road infrastructure is more important for rural residents in these regions to increase their income. The least significant impact of road infrastructure was found in the northeast region, where road infrastructure is not the main restriction factor for its development. Policymakers should consider the impact of road infrastructure in different regions to reduce the urban–rural income gap. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Financial development is one of the main sources of economic growth, whether financial deepening can lower the income inequality between urban and rural areas has been the focus of policy makers and researchers. Using data from 31 provinces in China, from 2002 to 2013, this paper examines the impact of financial deepening on income inequality between urban and rural areas. These empirical results show that financial deepening is significantly negatively associated with urban–rural income disparity, that is, for every 1% increase in financial deepening urban–rural income disparity can be reduced by about 0.5%. Further research has investigated that the influence of financial deepening on income disparity has a selective effect. From the decomposition effect of financial deepening, we also find that the proximity effect of the Eastern and Central regions is higher than that of the local effect, while the local effect of the Western region is higher than that of the Eastern and Central regions, but the proximity effect is not significant. The conclusion of this paper is of great significance to further deepen financial reform, improve the quality of financial development, and achieve sustainable development of economy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]