Regional economic imbalance is a longstanding challenge to the holistic economic and social progress. Although scholarly work has extensively analyzed the roots and consequences of these disparities, there is an unmet need for research that examines regional economic differences from the perspective of new quality productive forces. The integration of labor's core components—objects, materials, and tools—with regional economic variations remains underexplored. Additionally, current studies inadequately address how regional disparities in technological innovation, green development, and the digital economy influence the development of new quality productive forces and the mechanisms involved. This gap in research presents an opportunity for further exploration and understanding.
This study comprehensively evaluates China's new quality productive forces (NQP), focusing on regional disparities and the synergies among three critical components: new manufacturing, new services, and new business models. NQP is increasingly recognized as a crucial driver of modern economic development, encapsulating innovations across production and service sectors while reflecting the ongoing transformation of economic activities within the country.
To conduct this evaluation, a robust measurement system is established that incorporates advanced methodologies, including the entropy-weighted technique for order preference by similarity to ideal solution (TOPSIS) method and the full permutation polygon method. These techniques facilitate a nuanced understanding of NQP levels across various regions. Additionally, the Dagum Gini coefficient and complex system synergy models are utilized to analyze both regional differences in NQP and the overall synergy within the system, capturing the complexity of productive forces variations and their implications for regional economic policies.〖HJ*3〗
The findings indicate a steady increase in NQP across China, showcasing a clear gradient distribution characterized by "East > Central > West > Northeast". This gradient underscores significant regional disparities, with the eastern region exhibiting the highest NQP levels, driven primarily by robust technological innovation and proactive industrial upgrading. In stark contrast, the western and northeastern regions experience slower progress in their NQP trajectories, highlighting the urgent need for targeted policy interventions to address developmental gaps between regions. Overall performance of NQP across China fluctuates between "average" and "good," emphasizing the necessity for resilience amid global challenges, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, which has significantly impacted economic activities. Despite the pandemic's setbacks, there is a noticeable trend of reducing regional disparities, primarily driven by the economic disparities between the more developed eastern region and the less developed central, western, and northeastern regions.
The synergy analysis reveals an increasing level of coordination across the dimensions of NQP, with the eastern region demonstrating the highest degree of synergy, particularly in the integration of new manufacturing and new services. This synergy is crucial for fostering innovation and enhancing overall productive forces. Conversely, the central and western regions require substantial improvements in effectively combining new manufacturing with new services. The northeastern region must focus on optimizing the synergy between its manufacturing capabilities and new business models to enhance productive forces.
Significant gaps in NQP between the eastern region and both the western and northeastern regions are highlighted. The analysis using the Gini coefficient reveals a gradual reduction in regional inequality; however, inter-group disparities remain pronounced. This suggests that while progress is being made, targeted policies are essential for achieving more balanced development across regions, particularly to mitigate the disparities between the leading eastern region and the underdeveloped western and northeastern areas. Moreover, although the overall synergy of the composite NQP system is improving, disparities in synergy levels persist across different regions, underscoring the need for a more integrated approach to regional development. This approach should focus on fostering collaboration among new manufacturing, services, and business models, enhancing regional productive forces and contributing to a more cohesive national economic strategy.
In conclusion, this research provides a comprehensive framework for measuring and evaluating NQP in China, identifying regional disparities and highlighting opportunities for enhancing synergy within the economic system. As China transitions into a phase of high-quality development, strengthening the synergy among new manufacturing, services, and business models will be paramount for sustaining economic growth and enhancing national competitiveness. This study contributes to the ongoing discourse on regional economic disparities and underscores the importance of strategic policymaking in fostering fair economic growth nationwide.