Cooperative Impact of the Digital Sector, Eco-Friendly Policies, and Sophisticated Economic Development: A Study Drawing from China’s Practices

Amid the rapidly changing digital environment and the growing flow of information, the digital economy has become a significant driving force behind economic progress. At the same time, governments worldwide are increasingly prioritizing environmental protection and green development, making the challenge of harmonizing economic growth with environmental protection to achieve high-quality development, a critical issue. This study, using data from 285 prefecture-level cities in China, places the digital economy, environmental regulations, and high-quality economic development in the same framework to explore their interconnections. Furthermore, machine learning and the SHAP (Shapley Additive Explanations) model were employed to analyze the complex nonlinear effects and interactions between these factors, clarifying the significance of various parameters. The findings reveal significant regional differences in high-quality economic growth, digital industrialization, industrial digitization, digital governance, data valorization, and environmental regulations across China, with generally low overall levels. Digital governance, industrial digitization, and digital industrialization all contribute to high-quality economic development, with digital industrialization having the most significant impact. However, challenges such as data privacy concerns and inadequate governance can hinder the positive effects of data valorization on high-quality economic progress.