A Study About The Impact Of Trade Network Structure Of Free Trade Area To China’s Trade Resilience

In recent years,due to the frequent trade frictions and rampant epidemic in the world,the development of economic globalization is constantly hindered.In this context,joining the Free Trade Area(FTA)and strengthening regional economic cooperation are important strategies for China to cope with the trend of anti-globalization.The trade network formed by the countries in the FTA can effectively enhance the trade stability in the region.It also can help China effectively cope with the global trade shock and improve the ability to resist trade risks.At present,most literatures focus on the trade network structure of the world or the countries along the Belt and Road and CAFTA trade network structure,but there are few researches on the trade network structure of China’s FTA.Therefore,this paper firstly studies its main structural characteristics based on Social Network Analysis method,and draws the following conclusions: First,on the whole,trade density in the region shows a rising trend,and the number of network edges among member countries increases,indicating that trade links between countries are getting closer and the stability of trade network structure has been improved.Second,the trade network is developing towards a uniform one,the number of trade powers in the region is increasing and the gap between countries is narrowing.At the same time,China is at the hub of the trade network.Third,the isolated trade situation of the member countries in the zone has been changed.The trade exchanges are gradually closer and mutually beneficial,and the sub-groups have close contacts and good relations.Through the calculation of trade centrality and the measurement of trade resilience,this paper constructs the Continuous-Difference model and uses empirical analysis to study whether the trade network structure of China’s FTA has a positive impact on improving China’s trade resilience.The result shows that the trade network structure of China’s FTA has a significant positive impact on trade resilience.At the same time,under the test of the mediation effect,it is found that trade network promotes trade resilience through two paths: technology dependence and the level of industrial institutions.Finally,based on the social network analysis and empirical analysis,this paper puts forward the optimization of China’s FTA trade network structure and the use of FTA to enhance China’s trade resilience.