IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/energy/v283y2023ics0360544223025513.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Investigating the energy trade networks in the Belt and Road regions: Structures and evolution

Author

Listed:
  • Chen, Wei
  • Niu, Xiaoyu
  • Ke, Wenqian
  • Yu, Zhaoyuan

Abstract

The “Belt and Road” Initiative (BRI) is a new platform for international economic cooperation with far-reaching implications for restructuring the global energy trading system. This paper constructs the BRI energy trade networks and investigates the evolution of hierarchical structures, core–periphery, and backbone structures of the BRI energy trade networks at long time scales by integrating a flexible methodological framework. The results show that: (1) The BRI energy trade has formed closely linked, complex, and uneven energy trade networks, with spatially variable trade volume and noticeable hierarchical structural features. (2) China, Russia, India, the United Arab Emirates, and Saudi Arabia are the top five countries with the highest centrality degrees, while the rankings of other countries have varied. (3) The BRI energy trade networks exhibit significant core–periphery structures and some nodal countries are in the absolute cores of the network. (4) Backbone structures of the BRI energy trade networks continue to grow in both numbers and weights, forming backbone networks between major energy-exporting countries and major energy-demanding countries. Therefore, the BRI should strengthen the policy implementation and institutional arrangements at different levels to promote the BRI energy trade system, ensure global energy security, and strengthen energy interconnectivity.

Suggested Citation

  • Chen, Wei & Niu, Xiaoyu & Ke, Wenqian & Yu, Zhaoyuan, 2023. "Investigating the energy trade networks in the Belt and Road regions: Structures and evolution," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 283(C).
  • Handle: RePEc:eee:energy:v:283:y:2023:i:c:s0360544223025513
    DOI: 10.1016/j.energy.2023.129157
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0360544223025513
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only

    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.energy.2023.129157?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Picciolo, Francesco & Papandreou, Andreas & Hubacek, Klaus & Ruzzenenti, Franco, 2017. "How crude oil prices shape the global division of labor," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 189(C), pages 753-761.
    2. Zhao, Yabo & Liu, Xiaofeng & Wang, Shaojian & Ge, Yuejing, 2019. "Energy relations between China and the countries along the Belt and Road: An analysis of the distribution of energy resources and interdependence relationships," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 107(C), pages 133-144.
    3. Geng, Jiang-Bo & Ji, Qiang & Fan, Ying, 2014. "A dynamic analysis on global natural gas trade network," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 132(C), pages 23-33.
    4. Xiaoyu Niu & Wei Chen & Nyuying Wang, 2023. "Spatiotemporal Dynamics and Topological Evolution of the Global Crude Oil Trade Network," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(4), pages 1-18, February.
    5. Wei Chen & Hang-Hyun Jo, 2021. "Delineating the Spatial Boundaries of Megaregions in China: A City Network Perspective," Complexity, Hindawi, vol. 2021, pages 1-10, December.
    6. Sofia Berdysheva & Svetlana Ikonnikova, 2021. "The Energy Transition and Shifts in Fossil Fuel Use: The Study of International Energy Trade and Energy Security Dynamics," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(17), pages 1-26, August.
    7. Gao, Cuixia & Sun, Mei & Shen, Bo, 2015. "Features and evolution of international fossil energy trade relationships: A weighted multilayer network analysis," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 156(C), pages 542-554.
    8. Rubio, M.d.Mar & Folchi, Mauricio, 2012. "Will small energy consumers be faster in transition? Evidence from the early shift from coal to oil in Latin America," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 50(C), pages 50-61.
    9. Landesmann, Michael A. & Stöllinger, Roman, 2019. "Structural change, trade and global production networks: An ‘appropriate industrial policy’ for peripheral and catching-up economies," Structural Change and Economic Dynamics, Elsevier, vol. 48(C), pages 7-23.
    10. Hao, Xiaoqing & An, Haizhong & Qi, Hai & Gao, Xiangyun, 2016. "Evolution of the exergy flow network embodied in the global fossil energy trade: Based on complex network," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 162(C), pages 1515-1522.
    11. Zhao, Laijun & Li, Deqiang & Guo, Xiaopeng & Xue, Jian & Wang, Chenchen & Sun, Wenjun, 2021. "Cooperation risk of oil and gas resources between China and the countries along the Belt and Road," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 227(C).
    12. Rachel Domagalski & Zachary P Neal & Bruce Sagan, 2021. "Backbone: An R package for extracting the backbone of bipartite projections," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 16(1), pages 1-20, January.
    13. Chen, G.Q. & Wu, X.F., 2017. "Energy overview for globalized world economy: Source, supply chain and sink," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 69(C), pages 735-749.
    14. Wang, Wenya & Li, Zhenfu & Cheng, Xin, 2019. "Evolution of the global coal trade network: A complex network analysis," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 62(C), pages 496-506.
    15. An, Haizhong & Zhong, Weiqiong & Chen, Yurong & Li, Huajiao & Gao, Xiangyun, 2014. "Features and evolution of international crude oil trade relationships: A trading-based network analysis," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 74(C), pages 254-259.
    16. Wu, X.F. & Chen, G.Q., 2017. "Global primary energy use associated with production, consumption and international trade," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 111(C), pages 85-94.
    17. Ge, Jianping & Wang, Xibo & Guan, Qing & Li, Weiheng & Zhu, He & Yao, Min, 2016. "World rare earths trade network: Patterns, relations and role characteristics," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 50(C), pages 119-130.
    18. Leng, Zhihui & Shuai, Jing & Sun, Han & Shi, Zhiyao & Wang, Zihan, 2020. "Do China's wind energy products have potentials for trade with the “Belt and Road” countries? -- A gravity model approach," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 137(C).
    19. Yang, Yu & Poon, Jessie P.H. & Liu, Yi & Bagchi-Sen, Sharmistha, 2015. "Small and flat worlds: A complex network analysis of international trade in crude oil," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 93(P1), pages 534-543.
    20. Guo, Yaoqi & Zhao, Boya & Zhang, Hongwei, 2023. "The impact of the Belt and Road Initiative on the natural gas trade: A network structure dependence perspective," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 263(PD).
    21. Vladimir Litvinenko, 2020. "The Role of Hydrocarbons in the Global Energy Agenda: The Focus on Liquefied Natural Gas," Resources, MDPI, vol. 9(5), pages 1-22, May.
    22. Li, Jiaman & Dong, Xiucheng & Jiang, Qingzhe & Dong, Kangyin & Liu, Guixian, 2021. "Natural gas trade network of countries and regions along the belt and road: Where to go in the future?," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 71(C).
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Chen, Wei & Zhang, Jianing & Yu, Zhaoyuan & Zhao, Xiquan, 2024. "Structure and evolution of global lead trade network: An industrial chain perspective," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 90(C).
    2. Chen, Wei & Dai, Yiyang & Liu, Zhigao & Zhang, Haipeng, 2024. "The evolution of global zinc trade network: Patterns and implications," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 90(C).

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Xiaoyu Niu & Wei Chen & Nyuying Wang, 2023. "Spatiotemporal Dynamics and Topological Evolution of the Global Crude Oil Trade Network," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(4), pages 1-18, February.
    2. Zhang, Hongwei & Wang, Ying & Yang, Cai & Guo, Yaoqi, 2021. "The impact of country risk on energy trade patterns based on complex network and panel regression analyses," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 222(C).
    3. Yue Fu & Long Xue & Yixin Yan & Yao Pan & Xiaofang Wu & Ying Shao, 2021. "Energy Network Embodied in Trade along the Belt and Road: Spatiotemporal Evolution and Influencing Factors," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(19), pages 1-29, September.
    4. Cai, Xiaomei & Liu, Chan & Zheng, Shuxian & Hu, Han & Tan, Zhanglu, 2023. "Analysis on the evolution characteristics of barite international trade pattern based on complex networks," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 83(C).
    5. Kitamura, Toshihiko & Managi, Shunsuke, 2017. "Driving force and resistance: Network feature in oil trade," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 208(C), pages 361-375.
    6. Huan Chen & Lixin Tian & Minggang Wang & Zaili Zhen, 2017. "Analysis of the Dynamic Evolutionary Behavior of American Heating Oil Spot and Futures Price Fluctuation Networks," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(4), pages 1-29, April.
    7. Jun U. Shepard & Bas J. van Ruijven & Behnam Zakeri, 2022. "Impacts of Trade Friction and Climate Policy on Global Energy Trade Network," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(17), pages 1-21, August.
    8. Guo, Yaoqi & Zhao, Boya & Zhang, Hongwei, 2023. "The impact of the Belt and Road Initiative on the natural gas trade: A network structure dependence perspective," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 263(PD).
    9. Li, Xiaotong & Zhang, Hua & Zhou, Xuanru & Zhong, Weiqiong, 2022. "Research on the evolution of the global import and export competition network of chromium resources from the perspective of the whole industrial chain," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 79(C).
    10. Xi, Xian & Zhou, Jinsheng & Gao, Xiangyun & Liu, Donghui & Zheng, Huiling & Sun, Qingru, 2019. "Impact of changes in crude oil trade network patterns on national economy," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 84(C).
    11. Chen, B. & Li, J.S. & Wu, X.F. & Han, M.Y. & Zeng, L. & Li, Z. & Chen, G.Q., 2018. "Global energy flows embodied in international trade: A combination of environmentally extended input–output analysis and complex network analysis," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 210(C), pages 98-107.
    12. Han, Mengyao & Xiong, Jiao & Yang, Yu, 2023. "Comparisons between direct and embodied natural gas networks: Topology, dependency and vulnerability," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 280(C).
    13. Wang, Wenya & Fan, L.W. & Zhou, P., 2022. "Evolution of global fossil fuel trade dependencies," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 238(PC).
    14. Wang, Chunhui & Zhong, Weiqiong & Wang, Anjian & Sun, Xiaoqi & Li, Tianjiao & Wang, Xingxing, 2021. "Mapping the evolution of international antimony ores trade pattern based on complex network," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 74(C).
    15. Wang, Wenya & Fan, Liwei & Li, Zhenfu & Zhou, Peng & Chen, Xue, 2021. "Measuring dynamic competitive relationship and intensity among the global coal importing trade," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 303(C).
    16. Song, Zhouying & Zhu, Qiaoling & Han, Mengyao, 2021. "Tele-connection of global crude oil network: Comparisons between direct trade and embodied flows," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 217(C).
    17. Peng, Peng & Yang, Yu & Cheng, Shifen & Lu, Feng & Yuan, Zimu, 2019. "Hub-and-spoke structure: Characterizing the global crude oil transport network with mass vessel trajectories," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 168(C), pages 966-974.
    18. Chen, Wei & Zhang, Jianing & Yu, Zhaoyuan & Zhao, Xiquan, 2024. "Structure and evolution of global lead trade network: An industrial chain perspective," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 90(C).
    19. Shade T. Shutters & Keith Waters & Rachata Muneepeerakul, 2022. "Triad Analysis of Global Energy Trade Networks and Implications for Energy Trade Stability," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(10), pages 1-15, May.
    20. Yaya Li & Yongtao Peng & Jianqiang Luo & Yihan Cheng & Eleonora Veglianti, 2019. "Spatial-temporal variation characteristics and evolution of the global industrial robot trade: A complex network analysis," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 14(9), pages 1-14, September.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:energy:v:283:y:2023:i:c:s0360544223025513. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.journals.elsevier.com/energy .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.