Coupling coordination and influencing factors between environmental regulation and high quality economic development in China

Abstract This study draws on panel data from 31 Chinese provinces for the period 2005–2022. Using the entropy-weighted TOPSIS method combined with a coupling coordination framework, it analyzes the spatial and temporal dynamics as well as regional disparities in the interaction between environmental regulation and high-quality economic development. The findings reveal that: (1) the intensity of environmental regulation at the national level exhibits an “inverted-N-shaped” trajectory, shifting from an “Eastern-led” to a “Multi-pole Collaboration” pattern; (2) high-quality economic development has grown steadily nationwide, yet notable regional imbalances persist, characterized by a spatial configuration of “strong in the East, improving in the Central region, and weak in the West”; (3) the coordination level between the two systems has shown an upward trend overall; (4) the digital economy, infrastructure development, and market vitality serve as key driving forces behind coupling coordination, while the nonlinear interactions between fiscal expenditure and other factors underscore the multiplicative effects of policy synergy and technology diffusion. this work deepens the theoretical understanding of the relationship between environmental regulation and high-quality development, while also supplying empirical findings and policy guidance to foster regional green transformation.