Speaker: Associate Professor Wenquan Liang (College of Economics and Management, Tongji University)
Host: Assistant Professor Lan Lan (Li Anmin Institute of Economic Research, Liaoning University)
Guest Introduction: Assistant Professor Guohao Yang (Li Anmin Institute of Economic Research, Liaoning University)
Time: 10:00–11:30 (Beijing Time), Friday, November 28, 2025
Location: Conference Room, 1st Floor, Wuzhou Yuan, Chongshan Campus, Liaoning University
Online Access: Tencent Meeting ID 730-281-8924
Language: Chinese/English
Abstract:
Using the Chinese Industrial Enterprise Pollution Database and county-level statistical data from 1998 to 2014, this study examines the impact of pollution emissions and the distribution of pollution within cities on the population. To address endogeneity issues, the study also employs the relocation of city government offices from 2000 to 2016 as an exogenous shock to construct a staggered Difference-in-Differences (DID) model for identifying the effects of pollution on the population in upwind areas within cities. The results show that an increase in pollution emissions in a county significantly decreases its resident population, and the distribution of pollution within a city also affects the population in different counties within the city. After the relocation of government offices, pollution in upwind areas significantly increases while the population significantly decreases. Mechanism analysis suggests that after the relocation, firms in upwind areas reduce pollution facilities, increase pollution emissions, and experience an increase in land allocation for heavy industries. Further investigation reveals that young individuals with higher education levels are less tolerant of the spread of pollution in upwind areas within cities, leading them to choose to move away from cities with higher pollution emissions in these areas.
Author Profile:
Wenquan Liang is an Associate Professor at the College of Economics and Management, Tongji University. His research focuses on the causes and effects of the spatial distribution of labor, with particular interests in environmental pollution, population mobility, human capital, and urban development. To date, he has published nearly 20 papers in leading international journals such as American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, International Economic Review, Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, and China Economic Review, as well as in top Chinese journals including Social Sciences in China, Economic Research Journal, Management World, and China Economic Quarterly. His research has been recognized with awards such as the China Economic Quarterly Annual Best Paper Award and the Shanghai Outstanding Achievement Award for Young Economists. He has also led multiple provincial and ministerial-level research projects, including the National Natural Science Foundation of China Youth Program and General Program.
