The impact of the host country's imports of Chinese digital products on carbon decoupling status

Abstract

This paper incorporates both the carbon emission and economic development imperatives of host countries and applies the Tapio decoupling model to identify their decoupling status. Based on this assessment and in light of the evolving global landscape of digital trade, we construct a balanced panel dataset covering 176 countries from 2003 to 2020 to examine the impact of digital product imports from China—the world's largest exporter—on the green and sustainable development of other economies, as well as the underlying mechanisms. Empirical findings reveal that imports of Chinese digital products contribute to the improvement of host countries' carbon decoupling status. This positive effect operates primarily through two channels: the enhancement of green technological innovation and the increase in green total factor productivity. The effect is more pronounced among Belt and Road Initiative partner countries, nations with lower energy endowments, non-OECD members, and developing economies. Moreover, deeper integration into digital trade governance frameworks further amplifies the efficacy of Chinese digital products. The results of this paper provide theoretical references and practical insights for fully exploiting the efficacy of digital products of China, promoting the progress of green technology, and realizing the synergistic development of economic growth and environmental governance.