Original
Divergent Pathways to “Digital China”: Unveiling Provincial Digital Agendas Under Top-Level Design
Abstract
The ‘Digital China’ initiative sets an ambitious vision for national digital transformation, yet provincial priorities vary widely. Using fuzzy-set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (fsQCA), this article examines when Chinese provincial governments prioritize digitalization. It shows that provincial digital agendas are shaped not simply by central directives, but by the interaction of policy incentives, local leadership, and regional capacity. Only a small group of provinces—usually national pilots with strong fiscal and digital foundations—pursue broad and ambitious digital strategies. Most instead concentrate on one or two subfields, reflecting limited capacity or political commitment. These patterns suggest that the soft incentives built into the ‘Digital China’ strategy may widen regional inequalities in digital development.
中文
通往“数字中国”的分殊路径：顶层设计下省级数字议程的揭示
摘要
“数字中国”倡议为国家数字化转型设定了雄心勃勃的愿景，但各省的优先事项差异显著。本文运用模糊集定性比较分析（fsQCA），考察中国省级政府何时将数字化置于优先地位。研究表明，省级数字议程并非仅由中央指令塑造，而是政策激励、地方领导力与区域能力相互作用的结果。只有少数省份——通常兼具国家试点身份与雄厚财政和数字基础的省份——推行广泛而雄心勃勃的数字战略。多数省份则仅聚焦于一两个子领域，反映出其能力或政治承诺的有限性。这些模式表明，“数字中国”战略所内含的软性激励可能会加剧区域间数字发展的不平等。
关键词
数字中国、省级数字议程、模糊集定性比较分析、政策激励、地方领导力、区域能力、数字治理、区域不平等