| With the rapid development of digital technologies such as cloud computing and big data analysis and their deep integration into economic and trade activities,digital service trade with digital products and services as the subject has gradually become a new driving force for global economic development.In the face of new problems and challenges in the process of digitalization of trade in services,traditional trade rules are difficult to provide effective protection for this new trade model.Developed economies such as Europe and the United States,relying on their leading advantages in the field of digital economy,actively participate in the construction of a regional digital trade rule system in line with their national interests.China is a major exporter of digital service trade but has a low level of export technology,so building a digital trade rule system that conforms to the socialist market economy with Chinese characteristics is of great significance to promoting the quality of China’s digital service trade exports.Based on the theoretical research results and practical exploration experience of regional trade agreements and export technology complexity at home and abroad,this paper analyzes the current situation of China’s digital service trade export and digital trade rules by using the method of combining qualitative analysis and quantitative analysis according to the research idea of "theoretical basis-research hypothesisempirical test-policy recommendation",and constructs the in-depth quantitative index of digital trade rules through the TAPED database.The cross-border panel data of 57 economies from 2010 to 2021 were selected as research samples,and the impact of digital trade rules on the technical complexity of a country’s digital service exports was systematically and deeply explored,and corresponding suggestions were put forward based on the analysis conclusions and the actual situation of China’s digital service trade exports.The main conclusions are:(1)China’s digital service exports are large-scale,but the export technology level does not have an absolute advantage;China actively concludes regional trade agreements,but the digital trade provisions are not deep enough,and the rule appeal is mainly for trade promotion;(2)The increase in the depth of provisions for concluding digital trade rules has a positive impact on the improvement of the technical complexity of digital service exports,and the impact is stable and lagging.At the same time,the improvement of economic development,human capital,informatization level,R&D investment,and regulatory quality also has a positive impact on the improvement of the technical complexity of digital service exports.(3)The conclusion of high-quality digital trade rules can significantly improve the technical level of digital service exports in developed and developing economies,and the conclusion of digital trade rules with strong legal binding or rich clauses will have a more significant effect on the technical level of digital service exports in developed economies;(4)The conclusion of dispute resolution and cooperation clauses,data management clauses,trade promotion clauses,and network governance and security clauses has a strong positive effect on improving the technical complexity of digital service exports;(5)The total depth of digital trade rules has a significant positive impact on the improvement of the technical level of "financial services","telecommunications,computer and information services" and "other business services" exports.Among them,high-standard dispute resolution and cooperation clauses,network governance and security clauses,and data management cooperation clauses have a stronger positive effect on the export technology complexity of the above three industries.(6)In order to improve the technical level of China’s digital service trade exports,foreign countries should actively participate in bilateral or multilateral negotiations on digital trade rules,pay attention to clauses that are in line with China’s interests,and enhance the depth of clauses;Internally,we should do a good job in the basic work of developing digital service trade,and improve domestic digital trade policies,regulations and digital supervision mechanisms. |
