The impact of high-speed rail (HSR) on inter- and intra-regional disparity in China
Date
2020
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Publisher
University of Delaware
Abstract
The introduction of a new transportation technology may affect regions differently and reshape the economies. This dissertation aims to investigate the impact of the high-speed rail (HSR) network on regional inequality in China. Unlike the existing research, this dissertation uses real HSR data to study the impact of the whole Chinese HSR network on both the inter- and intra-regional inequality over a relatively long period. A panel data covering more than 200 cities spanning 2002 through 2016 is applied. In Chapter 5, both the inter-regional inequality in wage rates and GDP per capita are studied using the method of difference-in-differences (DiD). HSR service will have an impact on economic variables with a lag. The results show the HSR service can reduce inequality in GDP per capita when using a variable indicating a one-year lag since the service began operation. However, when using a two-year lag, only the difference between the eastern and the central regions and the difference between the eastern and the western regions can be reduced. Only the wage gap between the eastern and the central regions is decreased for both one-year and two-year lags. ☐ The intra-regional inequality in GDP per capita is studied in Chapter 6 by using the conditional convergence model and the instrumental variable regression method. I find for both one- and two-year lags, the HSR service does not significantly affect the intra-regional inequality. However, the HSR service negatively impacts the inequality in GDP per capita across cities within the nation.
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Keywords
Conditional convergence model, Difference-in-differences, High-speed rail, Regional disparity