College of Economics and Management, Zhejiang A&F University, Hangzhou, China.
Zhejiang Provincial Credit Center, Hangzhou, China.
PLoS One. 2023 Jun 28;18(6):e0285173. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0285173. eCollection 2023.
Based on the China City Commercial Credit Environment Index (CEI), a more scientific spatial DID model was used to examine the long-term impact of the opening of ports and trading in the late Qing Dynasty on the urban commercial credit environment, taking cities above the prefecture level in the Yangtze River Delta as a sample. The study confirms that: (1) the opening of ports and commerce in the late Qing Dynasty had a significant contribution to the urban commercial credit environment, which was conducive to the transformation of production methods and interpersonal relationships from traditional to modern, and to the improvement of the urban commercial credit environment. (2) Before the signing of the Treaty of Shimonoseki, the local forces of the late Qing Dynasty were resistant to the economic aggression of the Great Powers, and the positive impact of the opening of ports and trading on the commercial credit environment of port cities was more significant, but the impact was not obvious after the signing of the Treaty of Shimonoseki. (3) From the history of the opening of ports for trade in the late Qing Dynasty, the economic aggression of the Western powers against the non-patronage areas by means of the buying class objectively strengthened the concept of rule of law and credit awareness in the local market and exerted a long-term influence on the commercial credit environment of the cities, but the impact of the opening of ports for trade on the commercial credit environment of the patronage areas was not prominent. (4) Cities located in the sphere of influence of the common law powers had a more pronounced impact on the commercial credit environment as their institutions and concepts were more easily transplanted, while the impact of the opening of ports and trading on the commercial credit environment of cities in the sphere of influence of the civil law powers was not significant. Policy Insights: (1) Enhance the ability to negotiate with foreign countries on economic and trade matters from a level-headed world perspective, and be bold and adept at fighting unreasonable rules, standards and requirements in order to better optimise the business credit environment; (2) Regulate the use of administrative resources and avoid undue administrative intervention, which is an important prerequisite for improving the basic system of the market economy to enhance the business credit environment; (3) Emphasise both connotative development to follow a Chinese style modernisation path, and (3) emphasising selective cooperation to promote outward development, promoting the interaction, convergence and matching of domestic and foreign regulations, and continuously improving the regional commercial credit environment.
基于中国城市商业信用环境指数（CEI），采用更科学的空间双重差分模型，以长三角地区的地级市以上城市为样本，考察了晚清开埠通商对城市商业信用环境的长期影响。研究证实：（1）晚清开埠通商对城市商业信用环境有显著贡献，有利于生产方式和人际关系从传统向现代转变，改善城市商业信用环境。（2）《马关条约》签订前，晚清地方势力对列强的经济侵略持抵制态度，开埠通商对港口城市商业信用环境的积极影响更为显著，但《马关条约》签订后影响不明显。（3）从晚清开埠通商的历史来看，西方列强通过买办阶层对非势力范围进行经济侵略，客观上增强了当地市场的法治观念和信用意识，对城市商业信用环境产生了长期影响，但对势力范围城市商业信用环境的影响并不显著。（4）位于英美法系势力范围内的城市，由于其制度和观念更容易被移植，对商业信用环境的影响更为明显，而位于大陆法系势力范围内的城市，开埠通商对商业信用环境的影响则不显著。政策启示：（1）增强从平视世界的角度与外国进行经贸谈判的能力，大胆而娴熟地与不合理的规则、标准和要求作斗争，以更好地优化商业信用环境；（2）规范行政资源的使用，避免过度的行政干预，这是完善市场经济基本制度、增强商业信用环境的重要前提；（3）强调内涵式发展，走中国式现代化道路，（3）强调选择性合作，促进外向型发展，推动国内外规则的互动、融合和匹配，不断完善区域商业信用环境。
