STAGED MODEL OF STATE EVOLUTION WITHIN THE INTERNATIONAL DIVISION OF LABOR, THE CHINA CASE

Author(s): Zemtsov A.S.

DOI: 10.21777/2587-554X-2026-1-58-65

Release: 2026-1 (56)

Pages: 58-65

Keywords: global value chains, global production networks, economic development, industrial policy, international trade, structural transformation, China’s economic development

Annotation: The article describes the lack of a dynamic model that explains the transition of national economies between different modes of participation in the global production system. Drawing on the theories of global value chains and production networks, the author proposes a three-stage evolutionary model: integration, consolidation, and architectural influence. The model is developed through theoretical synthesis and empirically grounded in the case of China, whose development trajectory from 1978 to the present sequentially illustrates the transition through all three stages. To validate the model, the article employs econometric analysis of time-series and panel data for the world’s ten largest economies over the period 2001–2024. Regression results confirm that R&D intensity, domestic market scale, and export market diversification are the key drivers of progression toward the architect stage. The most robust finding is the negative relationship between export concentration and export sophistication. The proposed approach has analytical value for researchers and practical significance for developing economic policies in the context of increasing competition for the architecture of international production.

Bibliography: Zemtsov A.S. STAGED MODEL OF STATE EVOLUTION WITHIN THE INTERNATIONAL DIVISION OF LABOR, THE CHINA CASE // Economics and Management. – 2026. – № 1 (56). – С. 58-65. doi: 10.21777/2587-554X-2026-1-58-65