DOES ENFORCEMENT OF INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS MATTER
IN CHINA? EVIDENCE FROM FINANCING AND INVESTMENT CHOICES
IN THE HIGH-TECH INDUSTRY
James S. Ang, Yingmei Cheng, and Chaopeng Wu*
Abstract—Using a unique and rich database of high-technology firms in
China, we show that effective enforcement of intellectual property rights
at the provincial level is critical in encouraging financing and investing in
R&D. Better enforcement of intellectual property (IP) rights positively
affects firms’ ability to acquire new external debt and allows firms to
invest in more R&D, generate more innovation patents, and produce more
sales from new products. Our results suggest that facilitating financing
and investing in R&D are the channels through which better IP rights
enforcement can affect economic growth.