THE ROLE OF THE DIGITAL ECONOMY IN PROMOTING CHINA’S ADVANCED MANUFACTURING EXPORTS: EVIDENCE, MECHANISMS, AND REGIONAL DIFFERENCES

in the context of rapid digital economy growth and global manufacturing competition, China's advanced manufacturing export trade faces challenges including weakening traditional advantages, intense international rivalry, and core technology constraints. The digital economy offers significant opportunities by reducing transaction costs and enhancing technological capabilities. Using panel data from 30 Chinese provinces (2017–2024), this study constructs a multidimensional digital economy index (infrastructure, market trading capacity, technology application) measured via the entropy weight method, revealing an overall upward trend with clear east–west regional imbalances. Theoretical analysis identifies two main transmission channels: transaction cost reduction and technological level improvement. Empirical results from a two-way fixed effects model confirm a significant positive impact of digital economy development on advanced manufacturing exports — robust across pandemic exclusion, winsorization, municipality removal, and instrumental variable tests. Heterogeneity analysis shows stronger effects in eastern and western regions than in the central region. Mechanism tests validate both proposed pathways. The study provides theoretical enrichment and practical evidence for formulating differentiated regional policies to support sustainable export growth in China's advanced manufacturing sector.