The Economic Effects of Government-Backed Financing Guarantees from an Evolutionary Game Perspective —Evidence from the Entrepreneurship and Survival of MSEs
Resolving the financing difficulties of micro and small enterprises (MSEs) is a crucial link in promoting high-quality economic development. As an important policy-oriented financial tool, whether the effectiveness of government-backed financing guarantees can be successfully translated into developmental momentum for MSEs and optimize the allocation of financial resources is a key focus for both theoretical and practical circles. Existing research predominantly focuses on macro-level impact assessments or single-agent analysis, with a scarcity of systematic examination of the strategic interactions among the three core actors: government, banks, and enterprises. From the perspective of micro-level agent interactions, this study theoretically and empirically investigates the dual impact of government-backed financing guarantees on MSE entrepreneurship and survival, their mechanisms, and potential economic consequences.
This paper first constructs a tripartite evolutionary game model involving the government, banks, and enterprises. Theoretically, it analyzes how government credit intervention influences the credit market equilibrium by altering the expected payoffs and strategy choices of the involved parties, revealing that the policy’s effectiveness depends on the co-evolution of social benefits, compensation costs, and agent behaviors. Subsequently, utilizing nationwide industrial and commercial enterprise registration data from 2011—2022, and treating the gradual implementation of government-backed financing guarantee systems across cities as a quasi-natural experiment, we construct a multi-period difference-in-differences (DID) model for empirical testing. The reliability of the baseline results is ensured through a series of robustness checks. The findings indicate that: (1) Government-backed financing guarantees significantly enhance the entrepreneurial vitality and survival resilience of MSEs at the regional level, demonstrating the policy’s positive effect in both stimulating market “increment” and ensuring developmental “quality.” (2) The policy’s efficacy exhibits significant regional heterogeneity, manifesting as a “complementary effect” with the level of digital technology development and a “promoting effect” on factor market mobility; the marginal effect of the policy is more pronounced in regions with weaker digital infrastructure and lower market potential. (3) From the bank’s perspective, the policy does not induce significant moral hazard; instead, it improves bank loan quality by optimizing bank-enterprise matching, achieving a balance between credit expansion and risk control. (4) From the government’s perspective, current guarantee expenditures do not impose an overall burden on local public finance; however, regional fiscal pressure significantly moderates the policy effect. In regions with high fiscal pressure, while the policy promotes entrepreneurship, it fails to effectively enhance the long-term survival resilience of MSEs.
The marginal contributions of this paper are threefold. First, by introducing an evolutionary game framework, it provides dynamic theoretical support for analyzing the micro-level mechanisms of government-backed financing guarantees. Second, it deepens the policy assessment from a simple “presence or absence” comparison to the dual dimensions of “entrepreneurship” and “survival,” offering more comprehensive empirical evidence. Third, it constructs a holistic “policy tool-transmission path-economic consequence” analytical framework, revealing the policy’s impact on both the banking and government sectors. The conclusions offer important policy implications for optimizing the government-backed financing guarantee system, implementing regionally adaptive policy designs, and balancing risk prevention with resource adaptation, providing a theoretical basis and decision-making reference for enhancing the effectiveness of financial services in supporting the real economy.
WuJ M, WangT, LüJ Y. Research on the effect of government financing guarantee on the development of inclusive finance: empirical test based on CGE model[J]. Fiscal Science,2024,9(7):42-55.
SunH C, SunR Q, ZhangY. The effects and mechanisms of policy-oriented agricultural credit guarantees:an explanation based on the effectiveness of bank-guarantee interactions[J]. Reform,2024,37(9):138-152.
SunT Q, DengH, TianY Q. The institutional origin, operational logic, and evolutionary prospects of the agricultural credit guarantee system in China[J]. Chinese Rural Economy,2024,40(9):63-79.
ZhangM, LuX F, ZhangJ X. How to support SMEs’ financing through fiscal and financial coordination: based on a field study in a western border province of China[J]. Economist,2025,37(3):108-117.
WenX Z, ZhangH Y, JiangH Y. Research on formation and evaluation of trust mechanism between banks and enterprises in the small and micro enterprises financing: based on the perspective of credit guarantee intervention[J]. Reform of Economic System,2019,37(3):143-150.
XuP, LiY S. Calculation of policy financing guarantee institution’s operational efficiency and its influencing factors: based on the analysis of micro-survey data from Zhejiang Province[J]. Collected Essays on Finance and Economics,2022,38(5):56-65.
JiaJ Y, YuM Z, ChenJ W, et al. Third party guarantee and risk resolution of implicit local public debts: a comparative study based on related guarantee and professional guarantee[J]. China Soft Science,2023,38(5):171-187.
XiaoX, YangX Z. Probability of default, financing costs, and third-party credit enhancement effect: an analysis of private corporate bonds[J]. Financial Economics Research,2021,36(2):87-98.
SongK, WangJ Y. Effects of bank-guarantee collaboration and mode selection of mortgage loans for rural land management right:based on the risk allocation perspective[J]. Journal of Agrotechnical Economics,2021,40(4):133-144.
LiX Y. Effectiveness of targeted required reserve rate cut on enterprises’ credit: perspective of three adjustments of the policy[J]. Modern Economic Science,2021,43(5):86-100.
LiangB, ZhangJ H. Can the development of digital inclusive finance stimulate innovation: evidence from Chinese Cities and SMEs[J]. Modern Economic Science,2019,41(5):74-86.
DingZ G, WangJ C, XuY D. The relief effect of digital inclusive finance: from the perspective of SME survival[J]. Social Science Front,2025,48(10):248-255.
CaiY K, ZhouJ K, YuanW P. Data factor sharing and urban entrepreneurial vitality: empirical evidence from public data openness[J]. Journal of Quantitative & Technological Economics,2024,41(8):5-25.
CaoQ F. Driving effects of national new zone on regional economic growth: evidence from 70 cities of China[J]. China Industrial Economics,2020,38(7):43-60.
[31]
CallawayB, Sant’annaP H C. Difference-in-differences with multiple time periods[J]. Journal of Econometrics,2021,225(2):200-230.
ZhouY, WangQ. Digital consumption empowers new-quality productive forces: evidence from national information consumption pilot city[J]. Soft Science,2025,39(5):84-93.
FangL, TangH Y, LiJ. Impacts of national independent innovation demonstration zone construction on urban air pollution: evidence from a quasi-natural experiment[J]. Journal of Xi’an Jiaotong University(Social Sciences),2022,42(5):49-62.
BaiJ H, ZhangY X, BianY C. Does innovation-driven policy increase entrepreneurial activity in cities: evidence from the national innovative city pilot policy[J]. China Industrial Economics,2022,40(6):61-78.
MeiH, ChengJ J, LeiY X. Policies for mass entrepreneurship and innovation initiative and innovation activity in cultural and creative industries: evidence from mass entrepreneurship and innovation initiative demonstration bases[J]. Modern Economic Science,2024,46(6):90-102.
[40]
周文,余琦.数字经济与企业组织形态变革[J].江西财经大学学报,2025,27(6):63-74.
[41]
ZhouW, YuQ.Digital economy and enterprise organizational transformation[j].Journal of Jiangxi University of Finance and Economics,2025,27(6):63-74.
DingZ G, LuH Y, XuY D. How does digital empowerment resolve the “inclusive finance paradox”? A perspective based on the risk-return mechanism[J]. Jilin University Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences,2025,65(3):78-94.
LiuC Y, DongT D, PengF. Bridging the technological gap: digital inclusive finance and inclusive innovation development[J]. Modern Economic Science,2025,47(6):73-85.
ZhaoT, ZhangZ, LiangS K. Digital economy, entrepreneurship, and high-quality economic development: empirical evidence from urban China[J]. Journal of Management World,2020,36(10):65-76.
MaJ F, XuZ Y, DengG Y. Multi-centered spatial structure, cross-city flow of factors, and vitality of the private economy[J]. Journal of Shanghai University of Finance and Economics,2025,27(5):63-77.
HanF, KeS Z. Tracing the spatial sources of China’s manufacturing agglomeration: an integrated perspective based on Marshall externality and new economic geography[J]. Journal of Management World,2012,27(10):55-70.
LiangR B, WangQ Q. Reform in management system of local government debt and the alleviation of corporate financing predicament[J]. Economic Research Journal,2021,56(4):60-76.
LiuJ D, XuJ W, ChuH, et al. Local government debt and firm trade credit: from the perspective of risk spillover along supply chain[J]. China Industrial Economics,2024,42(11):156-173.
LiuG C, ChengF Y, YaoS Y, et al. Local government debt governance and corporate investment-financing maturity mismatch alleviation[J]. Journal of Management World,2022,38(11):71-89.