Structural Characteristics And Evolution Of The "BRICS" Liner Shipping Network

Since the introduction of the term "BRICS" in 2001 and the establishment of the organization with five member countries,the connections among its members have been strengthened as the BRICS countries continue to develop and their trade cooperation moves into a higher historical stage.In recent years,research on liner shipping networks has been continuously enriched and developed.Most of the existing researches have analyzed the internal structural characteristics of liner shipping networks from a static perspective,while the research on the evolution of dynamic liner shipping networks is relatively weak.Therefore,investigating the development history and evolution characteristics of the BRICS liner shipping network from a spatiotemporal perspective is significant for research purposes.Based on the aforementioned background,this paper relies on the data of the BRICS countries’ port-to-port liner shipping connectivity index from the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development(UNCTAD)from 2011 to 2022.Using the gravitational model,the annual port-to-port liner shipping connectivity index network matrices of the BRICS countries were constructed.By combining the complex network theory and social network analysis methods,the intrinsic relationships between network nodes were explored,and the impact of these relationship changes on the entire liner shipping network structure was analyzed.Based on this,the longitudinal comparison of the evolution trend of the network structure was conducted.The study reveals that:(1)The maritime transportation network among BRICS countries requires further development.The economic and pandemic impacts on the network have significantly reduced its overall density and efficiency,leading to low network indicators and notable fluctuations.Furthermore,the weak coherence and cohesion of the shipping network suggest there is still considerable room for improvement and challenges to be addressed in strengthening the container shipping network between the ports.(2)The differentiation of ports within the shipping network of the BRICS countries has become increasingly evident.Based on network data analysis,it can be concluded that within the shipping network,there are significant differences in the centrality of each port and the economic connectivity of their regional location.These differences are mainly reflected in the economic polarization of the major ports in each country.(3)The interconnectivity of the BRICS liner shipping network has gradually strengthened and become relatively stable over time.As the BRICS liner shipping network continues to merge and evolve,it exhibits strong interconnectivity and self-stability,and this evolution is highly dynamic and complex.From the historical trend of multilateral trade volume in various countries,China,as an important economic entity,plays a pivotal role in promoting the accelerated evolution of this network.In this study,complex network theory and related models were employed to investigate the structural characteristics and evolutionary mechanisms of the container shipping network in ports.The relationships among internal nodes of the network,the changes in the network as a whole,and the evolution trend of the entire network were revealed.This study provides data support and theoretical guidance for the planning of container shipping routes,vessel allocation,construction of important ports,and resource allocation among ports in the future.