Connective Financing - Chinese Infrastructure Projects and the Diffusion of Economic Activity in Developing Countries

Axel Dreher, Richard Bluhm, Andreas Fuchs, Bradley Parks, Austin Strange and Michael Tierney

No 14818, CEPR Discussion Papers from C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers

Abstract: This paper studies the causal effect of transport infrastructure on the spatial concentration of economic activity. Leveraging a new global dataset of geo-located Chinese government-financed projects over the period from 2000 to 2014 together with measures of spatial inequality based on remotely-sensed data, we analyze the effects of transport projects on the spatial distribution of economic activity within and between regions in a large number of developing countries. We find that Chinese-financed transportation projects reduce spatial concentration within but not between regions. In line with land use theory, we document a range of results which are consistent with a relocation of activity from city centers to their immediate periphery. Transport projects decentralize activity particularly strongly in regions that are more urbanized, located closer to the coast, and less developed.

Keywords: Transport costs; Infrastructure; Development finance; Foreign aid; Spatial concentration; China (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: F15 F35 O18 O19 P33 R11 R12 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020-05
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-fdg, nep-geo, nep-ppm and nep-ure
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (31)

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Related works:
Journal Article: Connective financing: Chinese infrastructure projects and the diffusion of economic activity in developing countries (2025)
Working Paper: Connective Financing: Chinese Infrastructure Projects and the Diffusion of Economic Activity in Developing Countries (2020)
Working Paper: Connective Financing - Chinese Infrastructure Projects and the Diffusion of Economic Activity in Developing Countries (2020)
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