Study on the Interaction between Green Competitiveness of Coastal Ports and Hinterland Economy

Abstract

Accelerating the construction of green ports and promoting the green transformation of the economy and society are important trends in port and regional development today. This research explores the interaction between the green competitiveness of coastal ports and the hinterland economy from 2007 to 2019 by taking the 10 largest coastal ports in China as the research object and combining the Super-SBM Model with the panel data model. The results show that the green competitiveness of coastal ports is fluctuating, and the green competitiveness of Qingdao and Shanghai ports is stronger in the production frontier surface. Compared with the size of ports, the level of port technology is an important factor to improve the green competitiveness of ports. In terms of interaction, the total economic volume of the hinterland, the proportion of the added value of the tertiary industry, and the waterway transportation between the port and the hinterland have a significant positive impact on the green competitiveness of the port, and the improvement of the green competitiveness of the port and the waterway transportation between the port and the hinterland effectively drive the economic development of the hinterland. This study provides an important basis for the rational use of the port–hinterland interaction and promotes the coordinated and healthy development of both.