| Since Shanghai Pilot Free Trade Zone(PFTZ)has established,the upgrade of China’s PFTZ has accelerated in the process of continuous development.However,current international situation becomes more unstable.The COVID-19 is raging around the world.The tide of antiglobalization is surging,and the economic growth of countries is slowing down,all of which have a negative impact on the development of global trade.At the 20th National Congress of CPC,it was proposed that China needs to develop a higher level of open economy.In this context,China needs to think about how to further improve the development level of PFTZ and find the way out for the further development of PFTZ.Science technology is the primary productive force.Only science and technology can truly promote high-quality development.A study in the development laboratory of Harvard University shows that China’s export technology complexity ranked 16th among the world in 2019,and the level of export technology continues to improve.The inherent logic behind whether export technology upgrade of the establishment of PFTZ can provide more replicable and promotional experiences for the further development of PFTZ will be verified in this paper.Therefore,based on the existing research and provincial industrial panel data,this paper uses Multiphase DID to evaluate the export technology upgrade of PFTZ and finds that the establishment of the PFTZ has a significantly positive impact on the export technology complexity.This conclusion meets the premise of parallel trend and is still valid under multiple robustness tests,such as the PSM-DID test,the placebo test,change of data type,change of explained variable,95%left tail test,heterogeneous treatment effects Test,endogeneity test,etc.The symbol and significance level of the estimation coefficient of core explained variable has not changed substantially.Secondly,considering the differences in location,trade mode and industry character of export technology upgrade,this paper analyzes the heterogeneity of different location conditions,different factor intensive industries,and different trade modes of PFTZ.Based on the heterogeneity of different locations,the effect of PFTZ on export technology upgrade of the Yellow River Economic Belt is greater than that of the Yangtze River Economic Belt.Based on the heterogeneity analysis of different trade modes,the establishment of PFTZ has a more obvious effect on the export technology complexity upgrade of the general trade mode compared with the processing trade mode.Based on the heterogeneity of different factor intensive industries,the result shows that the establishment of PFTZ in labor-intensive industries and technology-intensive industries does not significantly promote the export technology complexity.But it can significantly enhance the export technology complexity of capital-intensive industries.At the same time,this paper also analyzes the PFTZ with distinctive strategic position.It is found that the establishment of PFTZ in Hainan,Guangxi and Shaanxi can promote the export technology complexity to a greater extent.Further analysis shows that the establishment of PFTZ can effectively improve the export technology complexity mainly through two channels:accelerated marketization process and industrial structure upgrade.The faster marketization process in PFTZ,combined with the more obvious industrial transformation and upgrade,and the more obvious upgrade of export technology complexity.In addition,the establishment of PFTZ can promote the export technology complexity of provinces along "the Belt and Road".That is to say,PFTZ has a linkage effect with "the Belt and Road" initiative.The "Belt and Road" initiative has played a positive moderating role.Finally,based on relevant analysis and empirical research conclusions,this paper puts forward policy recommendations for the follow-up sustainable and in-depth development of PFTZ:improving infrastructure construction and encouraging innovation activities;adhere to regional differential development and giving play to different industrial characteristics;optimizing the regional institutional environment and promoting the upgrade of local industries and so on. |
