How does manufacturing agglomeration affect high-quality economic development in China?

Innovation, coordination, green initiatives, openness, and sharing are now considered to be essential building blocks for achieving high-quality economic development in China. Using a novel index, we investigate the impact of manufacturing agglomeration on high-quality economic development. Our results revealed the following: (1). The overall level of manufacturing agglomeration has been steadily decreasing, and there are significant differences in the spatial and temporal patterns of high-quality development across the country. (2). Manufacturing agglomeration promotes high-quality economic development not only within a region but also in its surrounding areas. However, different regions exhibit different spatial effects. (3). While manufacturing agglomeration simultaneously promotes economic growth, innovation, openness, and sharing between local and neighboring regions, it hinders local coordination and restrains green development in both local and neighboring regions. Overall, our findings provide timely policy evaluations on new policy trends in China.