Regional Disparity in the Relationship between Environmental Regulation and Economic Growth in China: An Empirical Study Based on the Panel Data of the Eastern, Middle, and Western Regions.

There is an obvious disparity between different regions in our country, which is well reflected in our empirical study on the relationship between the environmental regulation and the economic growth in the eastern, middle, and western parts of China through giving an econometric analysis to the panel data of 30 provincial regions from 1998 to, 2006. In the long run, there is a causal relationship between the level of environmental regulation and the economic growth in these regions. In the short run, the influence of environmental regulation on the economic growth in the eastern region is significant and that in the middle region is weak; but in the western region, to some extent the economic growth promotes the environmental regulation. Therefore, it is necessary to take some effective measures to enhance the productive interaction and coordinated development of the environmental regulation and the economic growth in different regions of China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]