Figure 3
The figure consists of four line charts arranged in a two-by-two layout, each covering the same time period and comparing four ports. Across all four panels, the horizontal axis is labeled “Year” and ranges from 2011 to 2023, marked at one-year intervals. The vertical axis in each panel ranges from 1.0 to 2.0 in increments of 0.2 units. In every panel, four colored lines represent “Qingdao Port”, “Rizhao Port”, “Yantai Port”, and the “Shandong Port Cluster”, and a legend identifying these lines appears along the bottom of each chart. Panel “(a): Smart and Green”. The “Qingdao Port” line starts around 1.6 in 2011, fluctuates slightly, and rises steadily to just below 2.0 by 2023, remaining the highest throughout. “Rizhao Port” begins near 1.2, shows noticeable ups and downs, and increases to about 1.7 by 2023. “Yantai Port” starts just above 1.0, dips slightly in the early years, and then climbs gradually to around 1.3 by 2023. The “Shandong Port Cluster” begins near 1.3 and increases steadily to approximately 1.65 by 2023. Panel “(b): Economic Efficiency”. In this chart, “Qingdao Port” increases from about 1.55 in 2011 to roughly 2.0 by 2023, showing a generally upward trend. “Rizhao Port” starts just above 1.0 and rises gradually to around 1.3 by 2023. “Yantai Port” begins near 1.1, shows small fluctuations, and ends slightly above 1.3. The “Shandong Port Cluster” starts around 1.25 and increases steadily to approximately 1.55 by the end of the period. Panel “(c): Supporting Capability”. This panel shows “Qingdao Port” rising from about 1.4 in 2011 to around 1.8 by 2023. “Rizhao Port” begins close to 1.0 and increases gradually to about 1.4. “Yantai Port” starts near 1.2, shows a noticeable rise around the middle years, and reaches about 1.7 by 2023. The “Shandong Port Cluster” increases from around 1.2 to approximately 1.65 over the same period. Panel “(d): Integration and Openness”. Here, “Qingdao Port” rises from roughly 1.6 in 2011 to about 1.85 by 2023, with a slight dip around the middle years. “Rizhao Port” starts near 1.15 and increases slowly to about 1.28. “Yantai Port” begins close to 1.1 and rises gradually to just under 1.2. The “Shandong Port Cluster” starts around 1.3 and increases steadily to about 1.45 by 2023. Across all four panels, “Qingdao Port” consistently shows the highest values, while the other ports and the “Shandong Port Cluster” display steady upward trends with varying magnitudes. Note: All numerical data values are approximated.Dimensional disparity analysis of competitiveness in Shandong port cluster from 2011 to 2023. Source(s): Authors’ own creation