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Transport Infrastructure, City Productivity Growth and Sectoral Reallocation: Evidence from China

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  • Yang, Yang

    (Anderson School of Management, University of California, Los Angeles)

Abstract

This paper examines the impact of highway expansion on aggregate productivity growth and sectoral reallocation between cities in China. To do so, I construct a unique dataset of bilateral transportation costs between Chinese cities, digitized highway network maps, and firm-level census. I first derive and estimate a market access measure for cities in China from 1995 to 2005. I then examine the channels through which the highway infrastructure affected economic outcomes. The results suggest that highways promoted aggregate productivity growth by facilitating the entry of new firms and reallocation among existing firms. I estimate the aggregate economic impact of China's national highway system and find that eliminating all highways in China would decrease aggregate productivity by 3.2%. There is also evidence that the national highway system led to a sectoral reallocation between cities in China.

Suggested Citation

  • Yang, Yang, 2017. "Transport Infrastructure, City Productivity Growth and Sectoral Reallocation: Evidence from China," RIEI Working Papers 2017-08, Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University, Research Institute for Economic Integration.
    • Handle: RePEc:xjt:rieiwp:2017-08
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    Cited by:

    1. Richard Hornbeck & Martin Rotemberg, 2019. "Railroads, Reallocation, and the Rise of American Manufacturing," NBER Working Papers 26594, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    2. Gibbons, Stephen & Lyytikäinen, Teemu & Overman, Henry G. & Sanchis-Guarner, Rosa, 2019. "New road infrastructure: The effects on firms," Journal of Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 110(C), pages 35-50.
    3. Yuan Tian, 2020. "International trade liberalization and domestic institutional reform: Effects of WTO accession on Chinese internal migration policy," Discussion Papers 2020-17, University of Nottingham, GEP.
    4. Didit Welly UDJIANTO & Joko SUSANTO & PURWIYANTA, 2019. "Infrastructure, Employment And Income Convergence," Romanian Journal of Economics, Institute of National Economy, vol. 49(2(58)), pages 50-61, December.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Transport infrastructure; trade; highway; productivity; China;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • F10 - International Economics - - Trade - - - General
    • H54 - Public Economics - - National Government Expenditures and Related Policies - - - Infrastructures
    • O18 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Urban, Rural, Regional, and Transportation Analysis; Housing; Infrastructure
    • O40 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Growth and Aggregate Productivity - - - General
    • R10 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - General Regional Economics - - - General

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