Measurement and spatial spillover effects of port comprehensive strength: Empirical evidence from China

Abstract

We used the “technique for order preference by similarity to ideal solution” model to measure port comprehensive strength and its spatial features on the basis of the concept of regional balanced development during the period of port resources integration. Using the panel data for coastal cities from 2001 to 2017, we built a spatial econometric model of port comprehensive strength to explore the effect of port comprehensive strength on economic growth and its spatial spillover effect. The study found the following: (1) The hierarchical structure of China's coastal ports has expanded toward a flat pyramid structure, the shift of which enlarges middle- and high-level ports and shrinks the low-level ones; China's coastal port groups present a “core-periphery structure,” which focuses on international and national hubs. (2) China's coastal port comprehensive strength has a significant spatial spillover effect on the economic growth in local and neighboring cities; for every 1% increase in port comprehensive strength, the peripheral economic growth contributes by 0.08% and 0.04%. (3) The spatial spillover effect of coastal port comprehensive strength on the scale of the port group reflects a spatial conglomeration effect and regional differences: the coastal port comprehensive strength of the Pearl River Delta and the Southeast coastal area presents direct and indirect double spillover effects, the port groups in the Yangtze River Delta and Southeast coastal area have a direct spillover effect only, and the Southwest port groups have a double negative spillover effect.