The 21st Xi Xian Academic Luncheon, co-organised by IIDPF and the School of Public Finance and Taxation, was successfully held on 10 November 2022 in Conference Room 119, Wenqin Building. Researcher Dr. Zou Wei from IIDPF gave a lecture entitled Platform Delivery and Rural Revitalisation - A Perspective on Consumer Behaviour. The academic luncheon was chaired by Dr Zou Jianwen, a researcher of the IIDPF, with over forty participants, including Professor Zhang Kezhong, Dean of the School of Public Finance and Taxation, Professor Lu Yuanping, Executive Director of the IIDPF, and Dr Wan Xin, a researcher, participating in the discussion and exchange of views.
The 20th Party Congress report proposed to comprehensively promote rural revitalisation. The rapid development of public delivery services has led to a profound infrastructural transformation in rural areas since 2009, but the "last mile" problem of public delivery services has been a long-standing conflict between building a unified market and promoting rural development. Based on CSP microdata, Dr Zou Wei studied the impact of platform delivery services on rural consumption behaviour. The findings show that public delivery services significantly increase rural household consumption expenditure, especially in remote and economically underdeveloped areas, reflecting the inclusive nature of public services.
Dr. Zou Wei gave a fascinating talk to the participants and also stimulated a deeper reflection on the research topic. During the discussion session, faculty and students in the audience spoke enthusiastically and shared extensively on issues such as study design and impact mechanisms. The study provided new ideas and visions for a moderately advanced infrastructure development in China.