Research

• The Political Economy of Air Pollution in China: Evidence from Political Leaders' visits (with Weibo Yan)

Abstract: This paper investigates influence activities within China’s political system by examining whether local officials strategically reduce air pollution during visits by top central leaders. Leveraging a newly compiled dataset of leadership visit schedules matched to daily air quality data, we find substantial and immediate improvements in air quality on visit days, especially when baseline pollution levels are high. Evidence indicates that these temporary improvements are driven by short-term shutdowns of coal-fired power plants. The effect is most pronounced during presidential visits and among local officials facing stronger political promotion incentives. Moreover, we find no evidence that such influence activities translate into meaningful career benefits for local officials. Instead, the short-term manipulation appears to displace long-term environmental governance efforts, suggesting a net social welfare loss.