Evaluating the Strategic Position of the Beibu Gulf, South China Sea

The Beibu Gulf of the northern South China Sea occupies an important strategic position. However, administrative areas along the Chinese coastline of the gulf do not have a significant economic value. Therefore, increasing public attention and assisting the regional government are necessary for promoting development. In this study, a conceptual model comprising geographic location, economic potential, social function, and ecological service (GESE) for strategic position analysis was constructed and further extended to a system for regional strategic position evaluation (RSPES) based on regional characteristic resources and environment. The analytical hierarchy process (AHP), fuzzy evaluation, and weighted comprehensive calculation were used to effectively apply this system to the Beibu Gulf. The evaluation scores demonstrate that the Beibu Gulf strategic position is at the second importance level and the importance rankings for the four subsystems are as follows: geographic location, economic potential, ecological service, and social function. Based on this, recommendations for the further development of the Beibu Gulf have been offered. The GESE model and the RSPES are suitable for the application in other areas, particularly coastal ocean areas, and can provide support for integrated coastal management.