{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,12]],"date-time":"2026-05-12T18:23:45Z","timestamp":1778610225697,"version":"3.51.4"},"reference-count":53,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"1","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2021,1,19]],"date-time":"2021-01-19T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1611014400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100001809","name":"National Natural Science Foundation of China","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["41771476"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["41771476"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100001809","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]},{"name":"Navigation College of Jimei University, National-local Joint Engineering Research Center for Marine Navigation Aids Services","award":["JMCBZD202014"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["JMCBZD202014"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["IJGI"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Maritime traffic can reflect the diverse and complex relations between countries and regions, such as economic trade and geopolitics. Based on the AIS (Automatic Identification System) trajectory data of ships, this study constructs the Maritime Silk Road traffic network. In this study, we used a complex network theory along with social network analysis and network flow analysis to analyze the spatial distribution characteristics of maritime traffic flow of the Maritime Silk Road; further, we empirically demonstrate the traffic inequality in the route. On this basis, we explore the role of the country in the maritime traffic system and the resulting traffic relations. There are three main results of this study. (1) The inequality in the maritime traffic of the Maritime Silk Road has led to obvious regional differences. Europe, west Asia, northeast Asia, and southeast Asia are the dominant regions of the Maritime Silk Road. (2) Different countries play different maritime traffic roles. Italy, Singapore, and China are the core countries in the maritime traffic network of the Maritime Silk Road; Greece, Turkey, Cyprus, Lebanon, and Israel have built a structure of maritime traffic flow in the eastern Mediterranean Sea, and Saudi Arabia serves as a bridge for maritime trade between Asia and Europe. (3) The maritime traffic relations show the characteristics of regionalization; countries in west Asia and the European Mediterranean region are clearly polarized, and competition\u2013synergy relations have become the main form of maritime traffic relations among the countries in the dominant regions. Our results can provide a scientific reference for the coordinated development of regional shipping, improvement of maritime competition, cooperation strategies for countries, and adjustments in the organizational structure of ports along the Maritime Silk Road.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/ijgi10010040","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2021,1,19]],"date-time":"2021-01-19T04:55:31Z","timestamp":1611032131000},"page":"40","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":23,"title":["Traffic Inequality and Relations in Maritime Silk Road: A Network Flow Analysis"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"10","author":[{"given":"Naixia","family":"Mou","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"College of Geodesy and Geomatics, Shandong University of Science and Technology, Qingdao 266590, China"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-6497-2819","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Haonan","family":"Ren","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"College of Geodesy and Geomatics, Shandong University of Science and Technology, Qingdao 266590, China"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-5156-0719","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Yunhao","family":"Zheng","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"College of Geodesy and Geomatics, Shandong University of Science and Technology, Qingdao 266590, China"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-7826-0414","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Jinhai","family":"Chen","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"National-Local Joint Engineering Research Center for Marine Navigation Aids Services, Navigation College, Jimei University, Xiamen 361021, China"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-3315-2970","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Jiqiang","family":"Niu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Key Laboratory for Synergistic Prevention of Water and Soil Environmental Pollution, Xinyang Normal University, Xinyang 464099, China"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-7405-6697","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Tengfei","family":"Yang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Aerospace Information Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100094, China"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Lingxian","family":"Zhang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"College of Geodesy and Geomatics, Shandong University of Science and Technology, Qingdao 266590, China"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Feng","family":"Liu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"College of Geodesy and Geomatics, Shandong University of Science and Technology, Qingdao 266590, China"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2021,1,19]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","first-page":"1180","article-title":"The Application and Disciplinary Influence of Transportation Big Data in Humanities and Economic Geography","volume":"22","author":"Huang","year":"2020","journal-title":"J. Geoinf. Sci."},{"key":"ref_2","first-page":"787","article-title":"Discrimination Method and Application Analysis of China\u2019s Regional Transportation Advantages","volume":"63","author":"Jin","year":"2008","journal-title":"Acta Geogr. Sin."},{"key":"ref_3","first-page":"1464","article-title":"Discrimination Method and Demonstration of Spatial Flow Field of Intercity Traffic Flow\u2014A Case Study of Chinese Railway Passenger Flow","volume":"28","author":"Wang","year":"2009","journal-title":"Geogr. Res."},{"key":"ref_4","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"101991","DOI":"10.1016\/j.tre.2020.101991","article-title":"An eigenvector centrality analysis of world container shipping network connectivity","volume":"140","author":"Cheung","year":"2020","journal-title":"Transp. Res. Part E Logist."},{"key":"ref_5","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"881","DOI":"10.1007\/s11442-018-1511-z","article-title":"A fine-grained perspective on the robustness of global cargo ship transportation networks","volume":"28","author":"Peng","year":"2018","journal-title":"J. Geogr. Sci."},{"key":"ref_6","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"83","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ajsl.2018.06.005","article-title":"Maritime Shipping and Export Trade on \u201cMaritime Silk Road\u201d","volume":"34","author":"Jiang","year":"2018","journal-title":"Asian J. Shipp. Logist."},{"key":"ref_7","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"167","DOI":"10.1016\/j.cosust.2019.10.008","article-title":"Synergies of sustainable development goals between China and countries along the Belt and Road initiative","volume":"39","author":"Feng","year":"2019","journal-title":"Curr. Opin. Environ. Sustain."},{"key":"ref_8","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"25","DOI":"10.1016\/j.tranpol.2018.09.021","article-title":"Port performance in container transport logistics: A multi-stakeholder perspective","volume":"73","author":"Ha","year":"2019","journal-title":"Transp. Policy"},{"key":"ref_9","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"102729","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jtrangeo.2020.102729","article-title":"Urban gravity in the global container shipping network","volume":"85","author":"Ducruet","year":"2020","journal-title":"J. Transp. Geogr."},{"key":"ref_10","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"155","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ajsl.2014.09.002","article-title":"Changing Concentration Ratios and Geographical Patterns of Bulk Ports: The Case of the Korean West Coast","volume":"30","author":"Lee","year":"2014","journal-title":"Asian J. Shipp. Logist."},{"key":"ref_11","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"21","DOI":"10.1016\/j.tranpol.2019.01.013","article-title":"From a feeder port to a hub port: The evolution pathways, dynamics and perspectives of Ningbo-Zhoushan port (China)","volume":"76","author":"Feng","year":"2019","journal-title":"Transp. Policy"},{"key":"ref_12","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"193","DOI":"10.1016\/j.tranpol.2019.04.015","article-title":"Transport and regional economic integration: Evidence from the Chang-Zhu-Tan region in China","volume":"79","author":"He","year":"2019","journal-title":"Transp. Policy"},{"key":"ref_13","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"17","DOI":"10.1080\/03088830903461175","article-title":"Centrality and vulnerability in liner shipping networks: Revisiting the Northeast Asian port hierarchy","volume":"37","author":"Ducruet","year":"2010","journal-title":"Marit. Policy Manag."},{"key":"ref_14","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Liu, F., Andrienko, G., Andrienko, N., Chen, S., Janssens, D., Wets, G., and Theodoridis, Y. (2020). Citywide Traffic Analysis Based on the Combination of Visual and Analytic Approaches. J. Geovis. Spat. Anal., 4.","DOI":"10.1007\/s41651-020-00057-4"},{"key":"ref_15","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"18","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ocecoaman.2018.05.005","article-title":"How can Automatic Identification System (AIS) data be used for maritime spatial planning?","volume":"166","author":"Gourmelon","year":"2018","journal-title":"Ocean Coast. Manag."},{"key":"ref_16","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Wang, Z., Yao, M., Meng, C., and Claramunt, C. (2020). Risk Assessment of the Overseas Imported COVID-19 of Ocean-Going Ships Based on AIS and Infection Data. ISPRS Int. J. Geo Inf., 9.","DOI":"10.3390\/ijgi9060351"},{"key":"ref_17","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Xiao, Y., Chen, Y., Liu, X., Yan, Z., Cheng, L., and Li, M. (2020). Oil Flow Analysis in the Maritime Silk Road Region Using AIS Data. ISPRS Int. J. Geo Inf., 9.","DOI":"10.3390\/ijgi9040265"},{"key":"ref_18","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"677","DOI":"10.1007\/s11431-018-9335-1","article-title":"Using big data to track marine oil transportation along the 21st-century Maritime Silk Road","volume":"62","author":"Cheng","year":"2019","journal-title":"Sci. China Technol. Sci."},{"key":"ref_19","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"297","DOI":"10.1016\/j.trc.2020.02.005","article-title":"Dynamic feedback control of day-to-day traffic disequilibrium process","volume":"114","author":"Zhong","year":"2020","journal-title":"Transp. Res. C Emer."},{"key":"ref_20","first-page":"100091","article-title":"A systematic overview of transportation equity in terms of accessibility, traffic emissions, and safety outcomes: From conventional to emerging technologies","volume":"4","author":"Guo","year":"2020","journal-title":"Transp. Res. Interdiscip. Perspect."},{"key":"ref_21","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1923","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jenvman.2011.03.003","article-title":"An inequality study of ambient nitrogen dioxide and traffic levels near elementary schools in the Tampa area","volume":"92","author":"Stuart","year":"2011","journal-title":"J. Environ. Manag."},{"key":"ref_22","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"110163","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jenvman.2020.110163","article-title":"Sustainability efficiency and carbon inequality of the Chinese transportation system: A Robust Bayesian Stochastic Frontier Analysis","volume":"260","author":"Wanke","year":"2020","journal-title":"J. Environ. Manag."},{"key":"ref_23","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"101","DOI":"10.1016\/j.aap.2013.02.025","article-title":"The socioeconomic inequality in traffic-related disability among Chinese adults: The application of concentration index","volume":"55","author":"Chen","year":"2013","journal-title":"Accid. Anal. Prev."},{"key":"ref_24","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Dadashova, B., Li, X., Turner, S., and Koeneman, P. (2020). Multivariate time series analysis of traffic congestion measures in urban areas as they relate to socioeconomic indicators. Socio Econ. Plan. Sci., 100877.","DOI":"10.1016\/j.seps.2020.100877"},{"key":"ref_25","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"95","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jtrangeo.2004.12.003","article-title":"Traffic inequality in seaport systems revisited","volume":"14","author":"Notteboom","year":"2006","journal-title":"J. Transp. Geogr."},{"key":"ref_26","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"515","DOI":"10.1007\/BF01205777","article-title":"A new approach to the decomposition of the Gini income inequality ratio","volume":"22","author":"Dagum","year":"1997","journal-title":"Empir. Econ."},{"key":"ref_27","first-page":"152","article-title":"Traffic consolidation in East Asian container ports: A network flow analysis","volume":"61","author":"Wang","year":"2014","journal-title":"Transp. Res. A Pol."},{"key":"ref_28","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jtrangeo.2015.02.003","article-title":"Evolution of regional inequality in the global shipping network","volume":"44","author":"Xu","year":"2015","journal-title":"J. Transp. Geogr."},{"key":"ref_29","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"102653","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jtrangeo.2020.102653","article-title":"Competition, market concentration, and relative efficiency of major container ports in Southeast Asia","volume":"83","author":"Nguyen","year":"2020","journal-title":"J. Transp. Geogr."},{"key":"ref_30","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"567","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jtrangeo.2010.03.003","article-title":"Concentration and the formation of multi-port gateway regions in the European container port system: An update","volume":"18","author":"Notteboom","year":"2010","journal-title":"J. Transp. Geogr."},{"key":"ref_31","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"67","DOI":"10.1016\/S2092-5212(10)80012-4","article-title":"A Research on Competition and Cooperation Between Shanghai Port and Ningbo-Zhoushan Port","volume":"26","author":"Li","year":"2010","journal-title":"Asian J. Shipp. Logist."},{"key":"ref_32","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"108789","DOI":"10.1016\/j.econlet.2019.108789","article-title":"Inequality as experienced difference: A reformulation of the Gini coefficient","volume":"186","author":"Bowles","year":"2020","journal-title":"Econ. Lett."},{"key":"ref_33","first-page":"160","article-title":"Impact of the belt and road initiative on commercial maritime power","volume":"135","author":"Li","year":"2020","journal-title":"Transp. Res. A Pol."},{"key":"ref_34","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"133","DOI":"10.1016\/j.rser.2019.03.007","article-title":"Energy relations between China and the countries along the Belt and Road: An analysis of the distribution of energy resources and interdependence relationships","volume":"107","author":"Zhao","year":"2019","journal-title":"Renew. Sustain. Energy Rev."},{"key":"ref_35","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Yu, H., Fang, Z., Lu, F., Murray, A.T., Zhao, Z., Xu, Y., and Yang, X. (2019). Massive Automatic Identification System Sensor Trajectory Data-Based Multi-Layer Linkage Network Dynamics of Maritime Transport along 21st-Century Maritime Silk Road. Sensors, 19.","DOI":"10.3390\/s19194197"},{"key":"ref_36","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"361","DOI":"10.1016\/j.apenergy.2017.10.028","article-title":"Driving force and resistance: Network feature in oil trade","volume":"208","author":"Kitamura","year":"2017","journal-title":"Appl. Energy"},{"key":"ref_37","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"126","DOI":"10.1016\/j.tranpol.2012.06.022","article-title":"General cargo and containership emergent routes: A complex networks description","volume":"24","year":"2012","journal-title":"Transp. Policy"},{"key":"ref_38","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Mou, N., Liu, C., Zhang, L., Fu, X., Xie, Y., Li, Y., and Peng, P. (2018). Spatial Pattern and Regional Relevance Analysis of the Maritime Silk Road Shipping Network. Sustainability, 10.","DOI":"10.3390\/su10040977"},{"key":"ref_39","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"593","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jclepro.2019.03.026","article-title":"A study of the petroleum trade network of countries along \u201cThe Belt and Road Initiative\u201d","volume":"222","author":"Zhang","year":"2019","journal-title":"J. Clean. Prod."},{"key":"ref_40","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"169","DOI":"10.1080\/03088839.2011.650719","article-title":"The hierarchical configuration of the container port industry: An application of multiple linkage analysis","volume":"39","author":"Cullinane","year":"2012","journal-title":"Marit. Policy Manag."},{"key":"ref_41","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"106195","DOI":"10.1016\/j.oceaneng.2019.106195","article-title":"Comparative analysis of marine traffic flow in classical models","volume":"187","author":"Huang","year":"2019","journal-title":"Ocean Eng."},{"key":"ref_42","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"219","DOI":"10.1016\/S2092-5212(09)80003-5","article-title":"DEA-based Performance Measurement of Seaports in Northeast Asia: Radial and Non-radial Approach","volume":"25","author":"Jiang","year":"2009","journal-title":"Asian J. Shipp. Logist."},{"key":"ref_43","first-page":"35","article-title":"Competition dynamics between container ports in East Asia","volume":"40","author":"Yap","year":"2006","journal-title":"Transp. Res. A Pol."},{"key":"ref_44","first-page":"593","article-title":"Assessment of hub status among Asian ports from a network perspective","volume":"43","author":"Low","year":"2009","journal-title":"Transp. Res. A Pol."},{"key":"ref_45","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"396","DOI":"10.1016\/j.physa.2016.06.111","article-title":"The vulnerability of the global container shipping network to targeted link disruption","volume":"462","author":"Viljoen","year":"2016","journal-title":"Phys. A"},{"key":"ref_46","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"118","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ajsl.2019.06.004","article-title":"Network Structure Analysis of a Sub-Hub-Oriented Port","volume":"35","author":"Song","year":"2019","journal-title":"Asian J. Shipp. Logist."},{"key":"ref_47","first-page":"47","article-title":"Centrality in global shipping network basing on worldwide shipping areas","volume":"80","author":"Li","year":"2015","journal-title":"Geo J."},{"key":"ref_48","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"727","DOI":"10.1587\/transinf.E96.D.727","article-title":"An Approximate Flow Betweenness Centrality Measure for Complex Network","volume":"96","author":"Liu","year":"2013","journal-title":"IEICE Trans. Inf. Syst."},{"key":"ref_49","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"29","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1435-5597.1961.tb01769.x","article-title":"A graph theory interpretation of nodal regions","volume":"7","author":"Nystuen","year":"1961","journal-title":"Pap. Reg. Sci. Assoc."},{"key":"ref_50","first-page":"124","article-title":"Competitive landscape of China\u2019s container ports based on multi-stream analysis","volume":"39","author":"Li","year":"2019","journal-title":"Econ. Geogr."},{"key":"ref_51","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"677","DOI":"10.1080\/03088839.2010.524736","article-title":"The impacts of maritime piracy on global economic development: The case of Somalia","volume":"37","author":"Fu","year":"2010","journal-title":"Marit. Policy Manag."},{"key":"ref_52","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"3","DOI":"10.2495\/MT190011","article-title":"Port\u2019s structural and operational benchmark: Methodology and application to the Mediterranean basin","volume":"187","author":"Marinacci","year":"2019","journal-title":"Marit. Transp."},{"key":"ref_53","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Wu, L., Xu, Y., and Wang, F. (2020). Identifying Port Calls of Ships by Uncertain Reasoning with Trajectory Data. ISPRS Int. J. Geo Inf., 9.","DOI":"10.3390\/ijgi9120756"}],"container-title":["ISPRS International Journal of Geo-Information"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2220-9964\/10\/1\/40\/pdf","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,11]],"date-time":"2025-10-11T05:12:43Z","timestamp":1760159563000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2220-9964\/10\/1\/40"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2021,1,19]]},"references-count":53,"journal-issue":{"issue":"1","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2021,1]]}},"alternative-id":["ijgi10010040"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/ijgi10010040","relation":{},"ISSN":["2220-9964"],"issn-type":[{"value":"2220-9964","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2021,1,19]]}}}