Technology Transfer and Early Industrial Development: Evidence from the Sino-Soviet Alliance

• 成果类型: Article; Early Access
• 署名作者: Giorcelli, Michela; Li, Bo
• 署名单位: University of California System; University of California Los Angeles; National Bureau of Economic Research; Centre for Economic Policy Research - UK; Leibniz Association; Ifo Institut; IZA Institute Labor Economics; Peking University
• 刊物名称: REVIEW OF ECONOMIC STUDIES
• ISSN/ISSBN: 0034-6527
• DOI: 10.1093/restud/rdag047
• 发表日期: 2026
• 关键词: economic-development; trade liberalization; PRODUCTIVITY; spillovers; GROWTH; state; management; allocation; origins; CHINA

摘要

This paper studies the long-term effects of technology and know-how transfers on structural transformations. In the 1950s, the Soviet Union supported the construction of the 156 Projects, which were large-scale, capital-intensive industrial clusters in China. These projects included a technology transfer, consisting of state-of-the-art Soviet machinery and equipment, and a know-how transfer, via the training of Chinese engineers, production supervisors, and high-skilled technicians by Soviet experts. We use newly assembled data that follow steel plants for over four decades, and we exploit natural variation in the transfers they eventually received. We find that, while production advantages stemming from Soviet technology faded away if not complemented with training, the know-how transfer had a long-lasting impact on plant performance, stimulated technology upgrade when China was a closed economy, and increased exports to the Western world when China engaged in international trade. The know-how transfer also generated productivity and technology spillovers onto complementary establishments.