A Study On The Status Of The Manufacturing Division Of Labour Between China And Other RCEP Members From The Perspective Of GVC

With the official entry into force of the RCEP(Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership)on 1 January 2022,the world’s most populous and largest economic free trade area has officially set sail.This has facilitated China’s participation in the economic development of the Asia Pacific region,and has brought a huge opportunity for the development of China’s manufacturing industry,through which China’s manufacturing industry has deeply participated in the division of labour in the GVC(Global Value Chain),thus providing a rare opportunity to enhance the status of China’s manufacturing industry in the GVC.Based on this fact,the author believes that a comparative analysis of the current status of China’s manufacturing division of labour with that of the ohter RCEP members and a study of the factors influencing the manufacturing division of labour in ohter RCEP members are of great practical significance in exploring the status of China’s manufacturing division of labour in the GVC.The research contents of this thesis are: Firstly,it introduces the research background and significance of this thesis,proposes the research methodology and research ideas,conducts a literature review and summarises the innovation points.Secondly,based on GVC,regional economic integration and new economic geography theories,the division of labour status of manufacturing industries in China and other RCEP members is analysed through the GVC production location index and GVC division of labour status index,and the division of labour status of bilateral manufacturing industries is further compared and analysed by supplementing it with the indexes of revealed comparative advantage,explicit comparative advantage in value chain and trade integration.Thirdly,the formation of RCEP regional value chains,regional production networks and market networks are analysed from the perspective of manufacturing intermediate and final product exports.Fourthly,a theoretical analysis of the factors influencing the manufacturing division of labour status of RCEP members is conducted and research hypotheses are put forward.Fifthly,an empirical analysis of the factors influencing the manufacturing division of labour status of RCEP members is presented.Sixthly,the research conclusions and policy recommendations of this thesis.The conclusions of this thesis are: Firstly,according to the GVC division of labour status index,China’s manufacturing industry is in the middle and upper reaches of the RCEP region.Among the ASEAN countries,Indonesia has the highest division of labour status,followed by the Philippines.Among the developed countries outside ASEAN,the top three are Australia,Japan and New Zealand.Secondly,China’s manufacturing sector is in the middle of the RCEP region as measured by the GVC Production Location Index.Among the ASEAN countries,the top three are Brunei,Malaysia and Cambodia.Among the developed countries outside ASEAN,the top three are Australia,Japan and South Korea.Thirdly,China’s trade integration with ohter RCEP members is high,and bilateral complementarities in manufacturing are greater than competition.Fourthly,the manufacturing production networks and market networks of the economies in the RCEP region are all concentrating within the RCEP region,and a China-centred manufacturing production network and market network in the RCEP region is taking shape.Fifthly,enhancing technological innovation,improving factor endowment structure and institutional quality will help RCEP members improve their respective manufacturing division of labour status,but expanding openness in the short term will not help RCEP members improve their manufacturing division of labour status.