The geographical connectedness of chinese seaports with foreland markets: A new trend?

摘要

This paper analyses the geographical connectedness of Chinese container ports with international foreland markets. Simulated results indicate that the hub-and-spoke network only forms part of the overall picture, where several different layers with diversified strategies can be statistically identified within the Chinese seaport hierarchical system. This paper addresses the question of whether there are alternatives for non-hub seaports within an established hub-and-spoke global shipping network other than just accepting their roles as feeder or spoke seaports. Also, it enhances our understanding on how China is divided by globalisation through trade relations with different regions around the world.