New digital infrastructure boosts the inclusive growth of China’s economy

Abstract

Under the dual backdrop of accelerating global digital transformation and pursuing high-quality economic development in China, new digital infrastructure has increasingly emerged as a crucial link connecting technological innovation with social equity, playing a significant role in achieving inclusive growth. To explore its logical connections and transmission pathways, this study first constructed a comprehensive index of inclusive development from three dimensions—sustainable growth, poverty reduction, and opportunity equity—to measure inclusive development across Chinese provinces. It then employed panel regression and mediation effect models to examine the inclusive growth effects of new digital infrastructure and its transmission mechanisms. Finally, grouped regression and threshold models were used to test the heterogeneity and threshold characteristics of the inclusive growth effects of new digital infrastructure. The findings revealed that new digital infrastructure directly influences various dimensions of inclusive growth by promoting industrial development, reducing transaction costs, enhancing information accessibility, and fostering regional coordination. Simultaneously, it exerts indirect effects through human capital accumulation and industrial structure optimization. The study emphasizes that these promotional effects vary depending on resource endowments and development stages, while also being constrained by threshold conditions such as transportation infrastructure and the degree of marketization. This indicates that new digital infrastructure has become a crucial strategic support for mitigating uneven and inadequate regional development, contributing to regional coordination and sustainable growth.