Can FinTech promote enterprise cross-region investment? ——Evidence from China

Cross-region investment by enterprises, through the integration of resources from different locations and the expansion of market spaces, has become a crucial engine for promoting high-quality regional economic development. However, the geographical restrictions of traditional financial services significantly hinder enterprise expansion across regions. The emergence of financial technology offers fresh perspectives for addressing this challenge. This paper investigates whether financial technology can stimulate cross-region investment behaviors among enterprises using data from Chinese A-share listed companies from 2009 to 2020. The findings reveal that financial technology significantly facilitates cross-region investment by enhancing the quality of information disclosure, alleviating financing constraints, and advancing digital transformation in enterprises. These conclusions have been validated through a series of robustness tests. However, the impact of financial technology exhibits heterogeneity based on factors such as the ownership structure of the enterprise, industry type, and the degree of capital market openness. Further research indicates that while financial technology-promoted domestic cross-region investments enhance returns on investment, this is not the case with foreign cross-region investments. Our findings unveil new mechanisms through which financial technology promotes cross-region investments in enterprises, offering novel perspectives and strategic recommendations for emerging market countries to fully exploit the potential of financial technology and solve the challenges of cross-region investment. It has significant theoretical value and practical implications for optimizing resource allocation efficiency and promoting balanced and coordinated regional economic development.