The Dynamic Evolution of Chinese-style Modernization Level Measurement

Abstract

This paper begins with a literature review and then develops an index system through a systematic analysis of the theoretical logic and realistic features of Chinese-style modernization. The study conducts a comprehensive analysis of the panel data of 31 Chinese provinces (municipalities) from 2012 to 2021. The entropy-weighted TOPSIS method is used to calculate the comprehensive evaluation scores of each region in each year and rank them. The study also examines the temporal evolution pattern of the level of Chinese-style modernization in each region, as well as the regional differences, using methods such as Thai Kernel Kernel Density Estimation.  The empirical results indicate that the eastern region is leading the country in terms of modernization level. The central region and the three northeastern provinces have similar modernization levels, but the overall level of the central region has increased over the decade, while the northeastern region has shown a decline. The economic modernization construction in the western region faces a contradiction as the region has a relatively small economic scale, a low level of industrial structure, and has not yet transformed its economic construction kinetic energy. This highlights the need for improvement in the region's overall level to keep up with the path of modernization. Based on this, this paper presents policy recommendations aimed at promoting economic development, innovation and entrepreneurship, strengthening social security, and advancing urban-rural integration. The goal is to comprehensively improve China's level of Chinese-style modernization.