Tijdschrift voor economische en sociale geografie, 2011
This paper analyses the geographical connectedness of Chinese container ports with international ... more This paper analyses the geographical connectedness of Chinese container ports with international foreland markets. Simulated results indicate that the hub-and-spoke network only forms part of the overall picture, where several different layers with diversified strategies can be statistically identified within the Chinese seaport hierarchical system. This paper addresses the question of whether there are alternatives for non-hub seaports within an established hub-and-spoke global shipping network other than just accepting their roles as feeder or spoke seaports. Also, it enhances our understanding on how China is divided by globalisation through trade relations with different regions around the world.
China's global ambitions are well reflected through the recent rise of its container ports and th... more China's global ambitions are well reflected through the recent rise of its container ports and their ability to redirect global shipping networks. Meanwhile, seaports provide a rich field of analysis for furthering our understanding of legal, institutional and operational questions of industrial reform. This is particularly true after a decade of substantial foreign direct investment inflows on the part of terminaloperating multinationals seeking to establish a presence in China's striving port industry. Massive terminal-level corporate participation has induced a rescaling effect in governance configurations. This paper adopts a governance approach to address recent institutional changes in the country's port industry in relation to an ongoing internationalization of port management. Particular attention is given to the role of port authorities and specific corporatization practices under reform by contrasting the examples of its two largest ports: Shanghai and Shenzhen. It concludes that China's ports stakeholder communities, logistical capabilities as well as scalar politics are best explained through institutional factors. q
The environmental impacts generated by shipping operations have increasingly become an important ... more The environmental impacts generated by shipping operations have increasingly become an important research topic, where its pollutants often pose negative externalities to natural habitats and economic losses to coastal areas. While the environmental impact costs generated by shipping disasters, notably large scale accidental oil spills, have been widely studied, hitherto, works dedicated to the assessment of environmental impact costs of pollutants generated by routine shipping operations remain scarce due to their relatively implicit nature and thus delays of consequential risks. Hence, by proposing an economic model and calibrating it to Port of Rotterdam, this paper assesses the environmental impact costs generated by routine shipping operations on ports. By shedding light on this important, but underresearched, issue critical to the well-being of the global shipping industry, this paper provides a decent framework for further research in sustainable shipping and port management for future generations.
Cooperation or competition? Factors and conditions affecting regional port governance in South China
Hong Kong is an international port heavily influenced by the ‘active non-interventionist’ policy ... more Hong Kong is an international port heavily influenced by the ‘active non-interventionist’ policy and, until very recently, segregated from China's national/regional planning due to its special political and economic status. However, the port is now facing considerable challenges, notably increased trade between China and overseas markets, challenges from neighbouring ports, notably Shenzhen and Guangzhou, the increasing importance of intra-Asian trade
An Analysis of the Dynamics of Ownership, Capacity Investments and Pricing Structure of Ports
Transport Reviews, 2012
With more than 80% of the world's cargoes being transport... more With more than 80% of the world's cargoes being transported by sea, effective port management is critical to the well-being of the global economy. This study models the effects of port ownership and governance on capacity investment and pricing structure, and these changes' implications on port service level and social welfare. The study argues that capacity investment and pricing are
There has been recent growth of professional education where academic institutions increasingly o... more There has been recent growth of professional education where academic institutions increasingly offer postgraduate programmes on subjects traditionally emphasizing on apprentice-style/practical learning approach. The motivations behind such growth and the added values of these programmes to students, however, have remained under-researched. Hence, by investigating the maritime industry, this paper attempts to address such deficiency. Through a Likert-style questionnaire survey, it is found that the changing requirements within the maritime industry serve as the core factor in aspiring practitioners to pursue postgraduate maritime degrees, while such programmes are pivotal in human capital management through preparing and re-training maritime professionals to ensure ongoing excellence and provisions of effective services within the ever-changing maritime industry.
Government policies, efficiency and competitiveness: The case of dry ports in India
Transport Policy, 2009
... For example, the two coastal ports of Mumbai, Jawaharlal Nehru Port (JNP) and Kandla (Mundra)... more ... For example, the two coastal ports of Mumbai, Jawaharlal Nehru Port (JNP) and Kandla (Mundra) handle almost 80% of the country's containerized cargoes which are almost entirely originated from the north-western states as mentioned above (Indian Ports Association, 2009). ...
This paper investigates the economic implications of the liberalization of air transportation acr... more This paper investigates the economic implications of the liberalization of air transportation across the Taiwan Strait to the region's aviation industries. Our analysis suggests that liberalization has brought substantial benefits to airports and airlines in Mainland China and Taiwan, with moderate or negligible negative impacts to the airport and airlines in Hong Kong. In general, Taiwanese airports and airlines have benefited more from liberalization compared to other regions. Such asymmetric effect is due to the larger size of the Mainland Chinese aviation market, which allows Taiwanese airlines to exploit network-related benefits. While liberalization has improved network connectivity for the major airports in the region, major hubs in Hong Kong and Mainland China will be able to maintain their leaderships. Finally, our analysis suggests that liberalization has brought more benefits than losses to the region's aviation industries. While Hong Kong has suffered some losses due to traffic reallocation, such impacts have been rather moderate thanks to increasing economic integration between Hong Kong and Mainland China.
This paper critically reviews four international legal instruments in addressing piracy and marit... more This paper critically reviews four international legal instruments in addressing piracy and maritime terrorism -UNCLOS, SUA, PSI and the ISPS Code. Piracy on high seas is currently becoming key tactics of terrorist groups -many of today's pirates are also terrorists with ideological bents and a broad political agenda. The intertwining of piracy and maritime terrorism poses substantial risks for global markets, understanding that much of the world's energy and cargoes being shipped through pirate-infested regions like Southeast Asia. Through investigating the contributions and limitations of the stated instruments, several constructive recommendations are offered to improve their effectiveness in controlling and deterring piracy and maritime terrorism from threatening the well-being of the maritime industries in the post-2008 world.
This paper investigates the impacts of maritime piracy on global economic development. Calibrated... more This paper investigates the impacts of maritime piracy on global economic development. Calibrated with data between 2003 and 2008, we model shipping demands and competition in the Far East-Europe container liner shipping service and investigate the economic welfare loss effects due to reduced volumes of trade and shipping, as well as efficiency loss due to geographical re-routing of shipping networks which would be otherwise uneconomical. The substantial economic loss simulated from our model indicates that, even from purely the perspective of economic interests, more efforts from the international community should be dedicated to tackle maritime piracy.
This paper is essentially an empirical investigation in the network analysis of inter-port traffi... more This paper is essentially an empirical investigation in the network analysis of inter-port traffic flows. Based on a database of vessel movements, it applies conventional techniques of network analysis to the graph of Northeast Asian liner networks in 1996 and 2006. Such approach proves particularly helpful for analysing the changing position of major hub ports and for revealing their respective tributary areas within the region. Despite rapid traffic growth at Chinese ports during the period under study, the latter seem to remain polarized by established hubs such as Korean ports and Hong Kong. This research reveals the strong relation between local port policies and the evolution of shipping network design.
Tijdschrift voor economische en sociale geografie, 2011
This paper analyses the geographical connectedness of Chinese container ports with international ... more This paper analyses the geographical connectedness of Chinese container ports with international foreland markets. Simulated results indicate that the hub-and-spoke network only forms part of the overall picture, where several different layers with diversified strategies can be statistically identified within the Chinese seaport hierarchical system. This paper addresses the question of whether there are alternatives for non-hub seaports within an established hub-and-spoke global shipping network other than just accepting their roles as feeder or spoke seaports. Also, it enhances our understanding on how China is divided by globalisation through trade relations with different regions around the world.
China's global ambitions are well reflected through the recent rise of its container ports and th... more China's global ambitions are well reflected through the recent rise of its container ports and their ability to redirect global shipping networks. Meanwhile, seaports provide a rich field of analysis for furthering our understanding of legal, institutional and operational questions of industrial reform. This is particularly true after a decade of substantial foreign direct investment inflows on the part of terminaloperating multinationals seeking to establish a presence in China's striving port industry. Massive terminal-level corporate participation has induced a rescaling effect in governance configurations. This paper adopts a governance approach to address recent institutional changes in the country's port industry in relation to an ongoing internationalization of port management. Particular attention is given to the role of port authorities and specific corporatization practices under reform by contrasting the examples of its two largest ports: Shanghai and Shenzhen. It concludes that China's ports stakeholder communities, logistical capabilities as well as scalar politics are best explained through institutional factors. q
The environmental impacts generated by shipping operations have increasingly become an important ... more The environmental impacts generated by shipping operations have increasingly become an important research topic, where its pollutants often pose negative externalities to natural habitats and economic losses to coastal areas. While the environmental impact costs generated by shipping disasters, notably large scale accidental oil spills, have been widely studied, hitherto, works dedicated to the assessment of environmental impact costs of pollutants generated by routine shipping operations remain scarce due to their relatively implicit nature and thus delays of consequential risks. Hence, by proposing an economic model and calibrating it to Port of Rotterdam, this paper assesses the environmental impact costs generated by routine shipping operations on ports. By shedding light on this important, but underresearched, issue critical to the well-being of the global shipping industry, this paper provides a decent framework for further research in sustainable shipping and port management for future generations.
Cooperation or competition? Factors and conditions affecting regional port governance in South China
Hong Kong is an international port heavily influenced by the ‘active non-interventionist’ policy ... more Hong Kong is an international port heavily influenced by the ‘active non-interventionist’ policy and, until very recently, segregated from China's national/regional planning due to its special political and economic status. However, the port is now facing considerable challenges, notably increased trade between China and overseas markets, challenges from neighbouring ports, notably Shenzhen and Guangzhou, the increasing importance of intra-Asian trade
An Analysis of the Dynamics of Ownership, Capacity Investments and Pricing Structure of Ports
Transport Reviews, 2012
With more than 80% of the world's cargoes being transport... more With more than 80% of the world's cargoes being transported by sea, effective port management is critical to the well-being of the global economy. This study models the effects of port ownership and governance on capacity investment and pricing structure, and these changes' implications on port service level and social welfare. The study argues that capacity investment and pricing are
There has been recent growth of professional education where academic institutions increasingly o... more There has been recent growth of professional education where academic institutions increasingly offer postgraduate programmes on subjects traditionally emphasizing on apprentice-style/practical learning approach. The motivations behind such growth and the added values of these programmes to students, however, have remained under-researched. Hence, by investigating the maritime industry, this paper attempts to address such deficiency. Through a Likert-style questionnaire survey, it is found that the changing requirements within the maritime industry serve as the core factor in aspiring practitioners to pursue postgraduate maritime degrees, while such programmes are pivotal in human capital management through preparing and re-training maritime professionals to ensure ongoing excellence and provisions of effective services within the ever-changing maritime industry.
Government policies, efficiency and competitiveness: The case of dry ports in India
Transport Policy, 2009
... For example, the two coastal ports of Mumbai, Jawaharlal Nehru Port (JNP) and Kandla (Mundra)... more ... For example, the two coastal ports of Mumbai, Jawaharlal Nehru Port (JNP) and Kandla (Mundra) handle almost 80% of the country's containerized cargoes which are almost entirely originated from the north-western states as mentioned above (Indian Ports Association, 2009). ...
This paper investigates the economic implications of the liberalization of air transportation acr... more This paper investigates the economic implications of the liberalization of air transportation across the Taiwan Strait to the region's aviation industries. Our analysis suggests that liberalization has brought substantial benefits to airports and airlines in Mainland China and Taiwan, with moderate or negligible negative impacts to the airport and airlines in Hong Kong. In general, Taiwanese airports and airlines have benefited more from liberalization compared to other regions. Such asymmetric effect is due to the larger size of the Mainland Chinese aviation market, which allows Taiwanese airlines to exploit network-related benefits. While liberalization has improved network connectivity for the major airports in the region, major hubs in Hong Kong and Mainland China will be able to maintain their leaderships. Finally, our analysis suggests that liberalization has brought more benefits than losses to the region's aviation industries. While Hong Kong has suffered some losses due to traffic reallocation, such impacts have been rather moderate thanks to increasing economic integration between Hong Kong and Mainland China.
This paper critically reviews four international legal instruments in addressing piracy and marit... more This paper critically reviews four international legal instruments in addressing piracy and maritime terrorism -UNCLOS, SUA, PSI and the ISPS Code. Piracy on high seas is currently becoming key tactics of terrorist groups -many of today's pirates are also terrorists with ideological bents and a broad political agenda. The intertwining of piracy and maritime terrorism poses substantial risks for global markets, understanding that much of the world's energy and cargoes being shipped through pirate-infested regions like Southeast Asia. Through investigating the contributions and limitations of the stated instruments, several constructive recommendations are offered to improve their effectiveness in controlling and deterring piracy and maritime terrorism from threatening the well-being of the maritime industries in the post-2008 world.
This paper investigates the impacts of maritime piracy on global economic development. Calibrated... more This paper investigates the impacts of maritime piracy on global economic development. Calibrated with data between 2003 and 2008, we model shipping demands and competition in the Far East-Europe container liner shipping service and investigate the economic welfare loss effects due to reduced volumes of trade and shipping, as well as efficiency loss due to geographical re-routing of shipping networks which would be otherwise uneconomical. The substantial economic loss simulated from our model indicates that, even from purely the perspective of economic interests, more efforts from the international community should be dedicated to tackle maritime piracy.
This paper is essentially an empirical investigation in the network analysis of inter-port traffi... more This paper is essentially an empirical investigation in the network analysis of inter-port traffic flows. Based on a database of vessel movements, it applies conventional techniques of network analysis to the graph of Northeast Asian liner networks in 1996 and 2006. Such approach proves particularly helpful for analysing the changing position of major hub ports and for revealing their respective tributary areas within the region. Despite rapid traffic growth at Chinese ports during the period under study, the latter seem to remain polarized by established hubs such as Korean ports and Hong Kong. This research reveals the strong relation between local port policies and the evolution of shipping network design.
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Papers by Adolf Ng