As nations increasingly align digital and sustainable development goals, this study empirically investigates the impact of Digital–Green Integration (DGI) on Urban Green Transformation Performance (UGTP) using panel data from 283 Chinese cities (2011–2023). Based on a "government–market–society" framework and spatial econometric models, the findings reveal that DGI currently exerts a significant negative impact on UGTP, although this adverse effect weakens over the long term. Mechanism analysis highlights a complex interaction: while economic agglomeration exacerbates the negative impact, factors such as environmental protection governance, financial development, and the public service environment effectively mitigate it. Notably, public environmental consciousness shifts from intensifying adverse effects in the short term to suppressing them over time. Spatially, DGI exhibits a "Central rise, East-West divergence" pattern, characterized by negative spillovers within a 760 km threshold and positive spillovers between 760–900 km. By elucidating these transmission mechanisms and defining spatial spillover boundaries, this study enriches the theoretical understanding of DGI and offers critical insights for designing region-specific policies to overcome transformation bottlenecks.

With the intensification of global climate change and ecological issues, the efficiency of forest ecological product value realization (FEPVRE) has become crucial in driving the green economy transformation. This paper, based on the Super-SBM model, measures FEPVRE across 30 Chinese provinces from 2012 to 2022. It employs methods such as spatial kernel density estimation, Markov chain analysis, the Gini coefficient method, the gravity model, and Quadratic Assignment Procedure (QAP) to assess its spatial distribution and dynamics. Additionally, spatial econometric models are applied from the perspective of the digital economy to explore the driving mechanisms of digital technologies, industries, and the digital environment on FEPVRE. The findings show: (1) FEPVRE in China exhibits fluctuating trends, with a convergence pattern from east to west. (2) FEPVRE associations shift from the eastern to the central regions, with stronger associations in the southeast. (3) FEPVRE will continue differentiating into two levels, with type IV regions prone to “level-locking” and club convergence. (4) Uneven digital technology distribution worsens regional disparities, but digital industries and environments help narrow the gap. (5) Eastern and Northeastern regions have higher FEPVRE due to better digital infrastructure and policies, while Central and Western regions face challenges, resulting in negative spillovers. High-efficiency regions positively influence neighboring areas. To achieve a balanced and sustainable green economy, bridging the digital divide in underdeveloped regions and promoting digital industries is key. Improving digital infrastructure will enhance FEPVRE and support an inclusive green economy.

Against the backdrop of accelerating global urbanization and intensifying ecological pressures, investigating the relationship between urbanization levels and ecological resilience in resource-based cities has become crucial for nations striving to achieve both sustainable development and ecological conservation. Utilizing panel data from 114 resource-based cities in China between 2010 and 2023, this study innovatively employs a composite nighttime light index to measure urbanization levels and constructs a comprehensive ecological resilience index using the entropy method. By applying a double machine learning model, this study thoroughly examines the impact, mechanisms, and heterogeneity of urbanization on ecological resilience in these cities. The findings reveal a gradual increase in ecological resilience among China’s resource-based cities, with the majority reaching high resilience levels by 2023. Spatial aggregation centers are identified in eastern China, the Yangtze River Delta, and the Pearl River Delta. Moreover, urbanization demonstrates a significant positive correlation with ecological resilience, a conclusion reinforced through robustness tests. Mechanism analysis reveals that industrial structure upgrading, green technology innovation, and energy efficiency improvement serve as key transmission channels. Heterogeneity analysis indicates that urbanization exerts a more pronounced effect on enhancing ecological resilience in regenerative resource-based cities as well as those located in eastern and central regions, while its impact is relatively weaker in declining resource-based cities and those in western and northeastern regions. Finally, this study proposes policy recommendations focusing on advancing industrial structure sophistication, constructing a green technology innovation ecosystem, implementing an energy efficiency enhancement initiative, deepening region-specific governance, and adopting targeted policy interventions. These findings provide theoretical support for precise policy formulation in resource-based cities and contribute to advancing academic understanding of the relationship between sustainable development and ecological resilience in such regions.

Against the backdrop of a complex global economic landscape, foreign trade serves as a critical link integrating China’s marine economy with the global market, playing an indispensable role in advancing high-quality marine economic development in China and realizing the strategic goal of building a strong maritime nation. Utilizing panel data covering 11 coastal provinces and municipalities in China from 2013 to 2022, this research adopts a double machine learning approach to examine the effects and mechanisms through which the high-quality development of foreign trade (HQD) shapes high-quality marine economic development (THQ) in China. The empirical results demonstrate that (1) high-quality development of foreign trade significantly promotes high-quality marine economic development in China, with a 1-unit increase in the former corresponding to a 1.437-unit rise in the latter. This finding withstands multiple robustness checks. (2) Mechanism analysis indicates that this promotion occurs through three channels: strengthening marine environmental regulation, enhancing marine labor productivity, and upgrading the marine industrial structure. (3) Heterogeneity analysis shows that the effect of high-quality foreign trade is stronger in China’s eastern marine economic region. Simultaneously, the trade development environment emerges as a key factor exerting a significantly positive influence on marine economic quality during China’s foreign trade advancement. The empirical findings propose the following optimization countermeasures for high-quality marine economic development: strengthening marine environmental regulation, enhancing marine labor productivity, and promoting the upgrading of the marine industrial structure.