Digital M&A, known as digital merger and acquisition, is a vital tool for companies to achieve digital transformation and play an essential role in sustainable development. Corporate digital M&A is inseparable from financial support. Therefore, based on the M&A data of Chinese A-share listed companies from 2011–2020, this paper systematically analyzes the impact effect of digital finance on corporate digital M&A in combination with the Peking University Digital Inclusive Finance Index. The results show that: (1) Digital finance development contributes to the implementation of digital M&A by enterprises, and the higher the level of development, the more likely enterprises are to engage in digital M&A. (2) Financing constraints and the innovation capacity play a partially intermediary role between digital finance and digital M&A. (3) Executive age and internal control negatively moderate the relationship between digital finance and digital M&A, and bank competition positively moderates the relationship. These research findings provide useful lessons for promoting digital M&A and accelerating digital transformation in enterprises.

In recent years, the international environment has changed rapidly, and the uncertainty of the trade environment faced by enterprises has dramatically increased. As a major participant in world trade, the uncertainty of the trade environment has significantly impacted the daily business activities and various behaviors of Chinese manufacturing enterprises. Green technology innovation has also become an important tool for enterprises to enhance their sustainable development ability and improve their ability to cope with changes in the external environment. The change in the trade environment will affect the business development of enterprises. To face the change in the trade environment, enterprises often choose to improve their technology level and increase the added value of their products. In the context of sustainable development, green technology innovation has higher technical strength and is more in line with the requirements of international development, which is strong support for enterprises to cope with the change in the trade environment. However, the current literature is scant on the association between trade uncertainty and green innovation. In this context, this study used the data of Chinese manufacturing listed companies from 2011 to 2020 to empirically analyze the relationship between trade environment uncertainty (UTE) and green technology innovation (GTI) using panel data estimation methods and further explore the related heterogeneity and its impact on sustainable development. The results show that: (1) UTE has a significant positive impact on the GTI of enterprises, and the robustness test verifies these findings. Different kinds of UTE have different effects on enterprise GTI. UTE also has a positive impact on the independent GTI of enterprises. (2) Compared with non-state-owned enterprises, the GTI of state-owned enterprises is more vulnerable to the positive impact of UTE. (3) UTE significantly and negatively impacts enterprises’ business activities and further challenges enterprises’ sustainable development. However, the enterprise’s GTI behavior, especially the substantial GTI, helps mitigate the adverse impact of UTE on the company’s sustainable development. Finally, this paper provides targeted suggestions for enterprises to better cope with UTE and improve their sustainable development capabilities.

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Author brief introduction: Zhulin Yu (1981-), male, Shandong Yantai people, master, lecturer, engaged in teaching and research in control theory and control technology .