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| RANKING PORTS ON CHINESE MAINLAND WITH THE CONCEPT OF VIRTUAL HINTERLAND |
| YANG Jia-wen, ZHOU Yi-xing |
| Department of Urban and Environmental Science, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China |
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Abstract The paper clusters the port into 39 subgroups based on administrative relation, and then 11 port groups based on spatial proximity. Characteristics calculated for each port subgroup and group include virtual hinterland's area, population, GDP, and the freight trade carried out by foreign funded companies The analysis shows that port subgroups, such as Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Tianjin, form the framework of the whole opening spatial structure. They have large freight flow and vast hinterland. Port subgroups like Dalian, Qingdao, Nanjing, Xiamen, Zhanjiang, play a secondary role. They fill up the vacancy between the hinterlands of the former four. Many other subgroups, although staying at the lowest level, have their own work to do. Cities near the highest-ranking subgroups will be the most internationalized in the future. Port groups like ChangJiang Delta, Zhujiang Delta and Coastal Central North China, are ranked highest. The areas around the ports of these groups are the most populated, most developed and also most frequented by foreign capital. The China metropolitan interlocking region has developed or is developing in these areas.
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Received: 05 November 2000
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2001, Vol. 16 
