Economic growth of Chinese regions: a comparative analysis of GRP factors based on the example of Gansu, Sichuan, and Zhejiang

understanding the driving forces behind regional economic growth remains one of the key issues in development economics, especially in large and economically diverse countries such as China. Despite decades of rapid growth, significant disparities in regional GDP levels, investment efficiency, and human capital development persist across China. The provinces of Gansu, Sichuan, and Zhejiang represent different stages of economic development – from the underdeveloped western regions to the advanced coastal regional economies. Objective: to identify and assess the economic and social factors that influence gross regional product (GRP) in the three studied provinces. The research hypothesis is that different factors have varying impacts on GRP across Chinese regions depending on their level of socio-economic development. Methodology. The empirical analysis is based on panel data from the three Chinese provinces – Gansu, Sichuan, and Zhejiang – covering the period from 2001 to 2023. The study applies a multi-stage methodological approach: data preparation and transformation, stationarity testing of variables, panel econometric models, ridge regression model, spatial autoregressive model (SAR), quantile regression model, vector autoregression (VAR) model, and machine learning models. The research was conducted using the R environment. Results: The study analyses the economic and social factors affecting per capita GRP in the selected regions of China. Conclusion: based on the research findings, possible directions for differentiating regional economic policy are proposed, depending on regional capabilities and needs.

regional economic policy, China's economy, regional economies of China, econometric analysis, regional inequality, regional development