The impact of the embedded global value chain position on energy-biased technology progress: evidence from chinas manufacturing

Energy-saving technology progress can solve the contradiction between economic growth and energy consumption. This paper divides China's manufacturing into 19 industries, describes the global value chain (GVC) embedding position trend, explores its impact on energy-biased technology progress and researches the mechanisms. The results show that (1) China's manufacturing technology progress tends toward energy conservation, and most industries participate in the GVC through shallow cross-border division. The simple embedding position is higher than the complex embedding position, and the physical position in the GVC is relatively stable; however, the economic position fluctuates significantly. (2) The GVC embedding position and the energy-biased technology progress show an inverted U-shaped curve relationship. Only when it enters the right side of the turning point and climbs to the high end of the GVC can it promote the development of energy-saving technology progress; the effects of the embedding method, embedding direction and position are heterogeneous. (3) The GVC embedding position's spillover and market competition effect promote energy-saving technology progress, while path dependence and the pollution transfer effect promote progress in energy-consuming technology.