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Regional Science & Technology and Innovation

Regional Disparities and Dynamic Evolution of Digital-real Inte⁃ gration Level in the Yellow River Basin 

Su Hui, Li Qiong, Li Qiuxian 

(School of Public Administration, Xi'an University of Architecture and Technology, Xi'an 710055, China)

Abstract: The Yellow River Basin holds a strategically important position in China's socioeconomic development and ecological security. The integration of digital and real economies serves as  a key breakthrough and strategic support for achieving high-quality development in the region. This  study selects 81 prefecture-level cities in the basin as the research sample, constructing a comprehen⁃ sive evaluation index system covering four dimensions: integration foundation, scale, structure, and ef⁃ ficiency. Using the entropy weight method, this paper measures the level of digital-real economic inte⁃ gration from 2011 to 2023. It further analyzes regional disparities and dynamic evolution characteris⁃ tics using the Dagum Gini coefficient, kernel density estimation, and spatial autocorrelation methods. Key findings are as follows: ①The overall level of digital-real economic integration in the Yellow  River Basin has been improving. From 2011 (0.055) to 2023 (0.156), the composite index increased at  an average annual rate of 9.076%, although it remains relatively low, ranging between 0.05 and 0.18. Spatially, a pattern of "lower reaches leading, middle reaches following, and upper reaches lagging" is  evident, with regional development trends broadly consistent with the overall trend. While all four di⁃ mensions have improved over time, integration efficiency remains the weakest link, indicating a lack  of endogenous growth momentum. ②Spatial disparities in integration levels have continued to widen, at an average annual growth rate of 0.860%. Disparities within the lower reaches have increased, while  those in the upper and middle reaches have slightly narrowed. Hyper-variable density remains the  main source of spatial disparity, contributing 44.314% on average, though this share has been declin⁃ ing. Meanwhile, inter-regional disparities have increased, reflecting growing divergence among subregions. The gap between the lower and middle reaches, as well as between the lower and upper  reaches, is particularly significant, while differences between the middle and upper reaches are rela⁃ tively small. ③There is significant spatial autocorrelation in integration levels. "High—high" agglom⁃ eration areas are mainly concentrated in the Shandong Peninsula urban agglomeration, where cities ex⁃ hibit strong collaborative integration. "Low—low" agglomeration areas are primarily found in Long⁃ nan, Pingliang, and Qingyang, where integration progress is slow. "Low—high" and "high—low" ag⁃ glomerations are mainly located at the junction of Shaanxi, Gansu, and Ningxia, constrained by geo⁃ graphical and environmental factors, resulting in the formation of integration "lowlands". Based on the  above findings, this paper proposes three targeted policy recommendations: first, for regions with dif⁃ ferent levels of development, how can a high-quality integration system be constructed to enhance  overall integration capacity? Second, for regions with varying levels of coordination, how can crossregional collaboration mechanisms be improved to promote balanced development across the basin? Third, for regions with different resource endowments and functional roles, how can differentiated  policy frameworks be established to achieve complementary and coordinated development across the  entire basin?

Key words: Yellow River Basin; digital-real integration; regional disparities; dynamic evolu⁃ tion; Gini coefficient