Dynamics of Economic Indicators and Trends of Further Development of China’s Seaports

Abstract

Chinese sea ports serve as central elements of the transport infrastructure, ensuring the integration of different types of transportation and acting as international trade hubs at both national and regional levels. The evolutionary path of development in China’s port sector is closely linked to dynamic changes in the country’s economic indicators and the structural transformations of its national economy. The implementation of the economic openness strategy has given impetus to the growth of import-export operations and contributed to the intensification of modernization processes in port infrastructure. Currently, the main drivers of the development of Chinese ports are digitalization of the Chinese economy; the restructuring, increasing complexity, and transformation of production-logistics chains involving China; and new requirements for international competitiveness. The research methodology is based on monitoring results from primarily Chinese sources, followed by a comparative approach, and descriptive and statistical analysis. The study analyzes the dynamics of key indicators in the port industry and related sectors in China since the beginning of the reform and opening-up policy; explores changes in state investment policies toward the port complex and its management; examines the current structure of China’s port industry, which forms an agglomeration effect through optimizing the placement of production capacity and adapting industrial structures to meet the needs of the leading sectors of the Chinese economy; and identifies key trends in the development of China’s seaports.