Evaluation of port competitiveness along China’s “Belt and Road” based on the entropy-TOPSIS method

Abstract Based on the literature on the factors influencing port competitiveness, this paper evaluates the competitiveness of Chinese ports along the Belt and Road based on Porter's diamond model. The evaluation system includes four primary indicators, including port infrastructure, port operation scale, port hinterland economic level and port development potential, and thirteen secondary indicators. Then, based on the entropy-TOPSIS method, an evaluation model of port competitiveness is constructed. Finally, 15 seaports along China's "Belt and Road" are used to evaluate competitiveness, and a comprehensive ranking of port competitiveness is obtained. The advantages and shortcomings of each port are pointed out according to the evaluation results to provide a reference for the long-term development of the competitiveness of ports along the "Belt and Road" in China.