The Impact of the Digital Economy on Chinas Cultural Product Exports: A Study Based on Belt and Road Countries

The Belt and Road Initiative has fostered transnational economic cooperation and cultural exchange, while the development of the digital economy has created new opportunities for the expansion of Chinese cultural products into markets along the Belt and Road. Drawing on data from 113 Belt and Road countries from 2010 to 2022, this study analyzes the impact of the digital economy on Chinas cultural product exports. Empirical results show that the digital economy significantly and positively promotes the export of Chinese cultural products to Belt and Road countries. This effect remains significant even after controlling for factors such as economic scale, population, geographical distance, and cultural proximity. Furthermore, both digital and traditional factors shape the trade patterns of cultural products, with traditional trade theory variablessuch as economic size, population, geographical distance, and shared languagestill exerting significant influence. The findings provide a scientific basis for corporate digital transformation and government digital trade policies, offering important guidance for promoting the expansion of Chinese cultural products in Belt and Road markets.