关键词: 数字经济, 生态转型, 城乡融合, 空间溢出效应, 东北三省

Abstract:

[Objective] This study aims to investigate the synergistic evolutionary relationship among the digital economy, ecological transition, and urban-rural integration in county-level areas of Northeast China and to reveal the spatial spillover effects and transmission mechanisms through which the digital economy influences ecological transition. By focusing on counties, this study provides a more refined understanding of the green effects of digitalization in old industrial and resource-dependent regions. [Methods] Based on balanced panel data for 147 counties in Liaoning, Jilin, and Heilongjiang from 2010 to 2024, comprehensive evaluation index systems were constructed for the digital economy, ecological transition, and urban-rural integration. Each system comprised four dimensions and 16 indicators. The entropy method was used to measure the development levels of the three systems. A coupling coordination model was employed to evaluate their synergistic development, while the Dagum Gini coefficient was applied to decompose regional disparities. Global Moran’s I was used to examine spatial autocorrelation. A two-way fixed-effects Spatial Durbin Model (SDM) was constructed to identify the direct and spatial spillover effects of the digital economy on ecological transition, and a mediating effect model was used to examine the transmission role of urban-rural integration. Heterogeneity analyses were conducted according to resource endowment, spatial location, and digital foundation. [Results] From 2010 to 2024, the development levels of the three systems increased continuously. The digital economy index increased from 0.213 to 0.601, representing a cumulative growth rate of 182%, which exceeded the growth rates of ecological transition (96.5%) and urban-rural integration (122%). The coupling coordination degree increased from 0.346 to 0.667, indicating a transition from mild imbalance to moderate coordination. Regional disparities generally narrowed, although intra-regional differences remained the dominant source of disparity, accounting for 39.4% of the total. Synergistic development exhibited significant positive spatial autocorrelation, with Global Moran’s I increasing from 0.184 to 0.336. The digital economy significantly promoted ecological transition, with direct and indirect effects of 0.218 and 0.146, respectively; the indirect effect accounted for 40.1% of the total effect. Urban-rural integration exerted a significant partial mediating effect, accounting for 28.9% of the total effect. The ecological promotion effect was stronger in non-resource-based counties (0.294), core urban agglomeration counties (0.315), and highly digitized regions (0.347) than in resource-based counties (0.186), peripheral counties (0.174), and low-digitized regions (0.139). [Conclusion] The digital economy, ecological transition, and urban-rural integration in Northeast China’s counties exhibit an increasingly coordinated and spatially interconnected evolutionary pattern. The digital economy not only directly promotes ecological transition but also generates cross-regional spillovers, while urban-rural integration serves as an important transmission pathway. The green effects of digitalization demonstrate significant spatial and contextual heterogeneity. Therefore, differentiated development strategies should be adopted according to county characteristics, while cross-regional collaborative governance should be strengthened to enhance spatial spillovers and promote coordinated digital, ecological, and urban-rural development in Northeast China.

Key words: digital economy, ecological transition, urban-rural integration, spatial spillover effects, three provinces of Northeast China