The Impact of Urbanization on Industrial Transformation and Upgrading: Evidence from Early 20th Century China
Round 1
Reviewer 1 Report
Comments and Suggestions for AuthorsThis study discusses the impact of urbanization on China's industrial development from a historical perspective, in attempt to reveal the impact of urbanization on industrial transformation and upgrading.
This study presents the following issues that need to be addressed:
1. The abstract fails to clearly delineate the timeframe of the research.
2. In the introduction, the author initially indicates a study period of 1840-1949, yet later emphasizes the use of data from 1910-1927. How can this discrepancy be explained?
3. The article lacks a methodology section to clearly explain the sources and types of data. Additionally, the steps involved in analyzing the data are not outlined. This undermines the credibility of the study.
4. The article fails to clearly explain why it analyzes the theoretical logic behind how urbanization impacts industrial transformation and upgrading through the lens of human capital effects and transportation scale effects. Can human capital and transportation scale effects be considered equivalent to all the effects brought about by urbanization? This is a significant issue that needs to be addressed.
5. The selection of variables for the study also lacks a solid introduction. Some variables have weak connections to the main focus of this research.
Comments on the Quality of English Language
The English language is clear and fluent.
Author Response
Please see the attachment.
Author Response File: 
Author Response.pdf
Reviewer 2 Report
Comments and Suggestions for AuthorsThe manuscript is based on the study of modern China, examines the type of industry, business model and enterprise scale to analyze the impact of urbanization on industrial transformation in modern China. The research perspective is innovative and the research methodology is clear, but there are still problems such as unclear exposition, and the specific recommendations are as follows:
1. Line 23：In the keyword “Historical data”, it is recommended that it be replaced.
2. Lines 26-106：This part of the introduction is overly redundant, scattering a portion of the background of China and the purpose of this study in each paragraph. It is not well organized and coherent, and it is recommended that this section be reorganized and streamlined.
3. Line 35：The phrase “as the largest developing country in the world” may be ambiguous at different times.
4. Line 63：“The modern economy is exceedingly complex, and the relationship between urbanization and industrial upgrading is both causal and mutually reinforcing” What is the causal relationship between urbanization and industrial upgrading that this section is trying to illustrate? Which one is the cause and which one is the effect, please replace it with a clearer statement.
5. Line 103：Why choose such a special segment of history, and on the one hand how to determine that there were major changes at that time? On the other hand, was the civil war in the country at that time exceptional?
6. Lines 78-81：The expression China is different from the West appears twice. “distinctly different from that of the West” and “starkly different from Western countries”.
7. Figure 1&2：What exactly is intended to be expressed? The map has limited access to valid information and lacks elements such as a compass, scale, etc. Please revise.
8. Line 264：3.2. Overview of Industrial Development in Modern China. Why is this section presenting an overview of modern industrial development and not an overview of industrial transformation and upgrading?
9. Lines 326-327：“logic behind how urbanization impacts industrial transformation and upgrading through the lens of human capital effects and transportation scale effects. ” Why manpower and transportation were chosen, the manuscript does not go into detail on this and please add relevant content.
10. Line 417：Are the formulas cited with sources? Please cite the label if you have one, and also how does Xit show the variables specifically? Please explain in detail.
11. Line 425：4.2. Variable Selection and Data Description. What were the reasons for choosing 246 prefecture-level districts in 18 provinces in China? Is there a map of the location of the study area? What were the reasons for choosing the time period? The manuscript lacks a detailed description of the study area, so it is suggested to add it.
12. Line 435：“Due to the limitations of historical data, we are unable to obtain continuous annual population figures. Therefore, this study utilizes the urbanization rate data from the year 1910 as the sample to reflect the level of urbanization in different regions during a specific period.” What's that supposed to mean?
13. Line 460：4.2.3. Control and other variables. Please add a description of why these variables were chosen.
14. Line 556：Table 4 is across the page. Try to get it on one page.
15. Line 560：What are endogenous problems? Please add relevant content.
16. Line 605：Please note the use of punctuation. “The null hypothesis that "the instrumental variable is weak," indicating that the choice……” “weak” should be followed by double quotes and then commas, and similar problems should be checked for modifications.
17. Line 616：This study examines the differential effects of urbanization on secondary and tertiary industries in China, and does not study the effects of urbanization on primary industries. However, as a large agricultural country, China lacks research on the primary sector, so is it appropriate to discuss industrial upgrading in a one-sided manner?
18. Line 637：What is the basis for classifying modern enterprises? By what method are they classified?
19. Line 698：The manuscript divided the sample into East, Central, and West regions according to geographic location, but as seen from the map of the sample in the previous text, the study area of the manuscript is quite different from the current administrative division of China. Readers do not intuitively understand the geographic division into East, Central, and West mentioned here, and it is recommended that additional schematic maps be provided.
20. Line 715：Table 9 first column bottom R². Please note the accuracy of the use of the square symbol.
21. Line 729：What is the starting point for measuring human capital in terms of the number of mission schools? Are there general education schools other than the mission school form?
22. Lines 739-744：The section 6.1 deals with the effects of the human capital mechanism, firstly discussing the continuous rural-urban migration and the fact that education facilitates the improvement of knowledge and skills, enriches the workers' resources, and improves the efficiency of the industry. However, the variable chosen is only the number of mission schools, which is the number of schools, not the precise “human” figures such as the number of students enrolled or graduated, so will this affect the conclusion of the study?
23. Pay attention to the correct word breaks in the manuscript's line feeds. For example, should line 45“econom-ic” be “econo-mic”?
24. Multiple tables have inconsistent fonts in the first column, e.g. Table2, Table10, etc. Please revise.
Comments on the Quality of English LanguageModerate editing of English language required
Author Response
Please see the attachment.
Author Response File: Author Response.pdf
Reviewer 3 Report
Comments and Suggestions for AuthorsFirst, I would like to appreciate the topic of this paper, rarely approached in the current literature. Many studies were focused on the effects of industrialisation on urbanisation, and less on the inverse process. Second, such analyses on historical dynamics of upgradation and transformation of initial industry under urbanisation process can improve the further policies in the field of sustainable economic development of a developing country. For the analysts, a such study brings some novelties which represent the added value of the research. To highlight better the research steps, and to increase the impact on the findings, the paper should be redesigned.
Below there are my comments and suggestions:
a) The Title of the paper reflects its content and is attractive to prospective readers.
b) In my opinion, the Abstract can be improved by including one or two phrases regarding the work hypotheses and research methodology.
c) The Introduction is well conceived, written, and arouses the interest of potential readers! The last part of this section reveals the paper structure, which seems to have some overlapping. In the next points I will suggest redesigning the article structure.
d) The literature review section demonstrates relevant knowledge on the topic and a good insertion of the paper into international research. The critical analysis of literature adds the authors’ capacity to debates the ideas expressed by researchers in closed connection with their research.
e) Concerning the next sections, I have the following suggestions:
· Redefinition of the current Section 3, as „Historical background on urbanization and industrial development in Modern China”, including the 3.1. and 3.2 points; both sub-chapters offer enough knowledge for a foreign researcher to understand the context of the next analysis;
· The next section could be „Defining the Work Hypotheses” (respectively, new Section 4), comprising entire current 3.3. sub-section. I highly appreciate the theoretical fundaments of both hypotheses;
· The fifth Section is defined as „Methods”, having two subchapters: 5.1. Variables, Data (which means that current 4.1 becomes 5.1.2), and 5,2. „Methods and Models”. This last subchapter follows to include a very short descriptions of the used methods – as „regression analysis”, „robustness test”……… - and „econometric model”.
· Results and Discussion will be Section 6, grouping entire current Section 5 (new 6.1.) and Section 6 (new 6.2). This proposal takes into consideration that both existing structures reflect not only the Results, but Discussion, too! Regarding the new 6.2., I suggest replacing the „Mechanism Analysis” title, with „Testing the Work Hypotheses”, keeping the same structure. This subchapter is very important for entire research, demonstrating that your entire approach has a finality. In my opinion, accepting this suggestion the emphasis falls not on a methodological element, but on achieving the research objectives. The accompanying tables sustained the ideas and the novelty of authors’ comments.
f) The Conclusion section is well written, based on the obtained results, and relevant to the research. The authors’ objectivity is, in addition, reflected by a short presentation of study limitations.
Comments on the Quality of English LanguageMinor English revision is required.
Author Response
Please see the attachment.
Author Response File: Author Response.pdf
Round 2
Reviewer 1 Report
Comments and Suggestions for AuthorsThe article has reached a publishable standard after revision.
Reviewer 2 Report
Comments and Suggestions for AuthorsAccept in present form
Comments on the Quality of English LanguageMinor editing of English language required
