Abstract: As the basic units of the national economy and key hubs for urban-rural integration, county-level economies bear the important responsibility of providing employment and increasing income for the general public, as well as ensuring people's livelihoods. They serve as a vital cornerstone for advancing the construction of Chinese-style modernization. The 15th Five-Year Plan explicitly calls for "developing county-level economies with distinct characteristics". In recent years, China's county-level economies have achieved remarkable progress, yet high-quality development in this sector still faces numerous prominent challenges, and its endogenous momentum has yet to be fully unleashed. The key to resolving the challenges facing county-level development lies in breaking free from path dependence, abandoning the "one-size-fits-all" model, and pursuing a path of differentiated, distinctive, and high-quality development. First, we must build on regional differences in endowments, implement targeted policies, and focus efforts precisely. Second, we must strengthen the supply of production factors to activate endogenous development momentum. Third, we must address both the soft and hard environments to enhance core competitiveness.
