Factors Affecting the Export Intensity of Chinese Manufacturing Firms

Manufacturing exports are deemed to be a significant driver of China's economic growth. This article uses the World Bank's Enterprise Survey in China to investigate the factors that significantly exert their effect on the export intensity of Chinese manufacturing firms. The maximum likelihood estimation, with the Tobit regression model, is adopted to capture the export intensity among Chinese manufacturers. This empirical evidence suggests that foreign direct investment (FDI), chief executive officer (CEO) gender, research and development (R&D), innovation and foreign, imported technologies significantly and positively influence Chinese manufacturing firms' export intensity. In contrast, firm age and skilled labour are not significant factors in driving export intensity. Evidence-based policy implications and recommendations are also provided to enhance the export performance of Chinese manufacturing firms.