Sustainability Assessment of Autonomous Regions in China Using GRA-SPA Method

Ruxue Shi, Pingtao Yi, Weiwei Li and Lu Wang
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Ruxue Shi: Department of Technical Economics and Management, School of Business Administration, Northeastern University, Shenyang 110167, China
Pingtao Yi: Department of Technical Economics and Management, School of Business Administration, Northeastern University, Shenyang 110167, China
Weiwei Li: Department of Technical Economics and Management, School of Business Administration, Northeastern University, Shenyang 110167, China
Lu Wang: Department of Technical Economics and Management, School of Business Administration, Northeastern University, Shenyang 110167, China

Sustainability, 2021, vol. 13, issue 19, 1-19

Abstract: Sustainability development is a core issue in autonomous regions’ construction and development. The paper evaluated the sustainability development of the five autonomous regions in Western China from 2010 to 2019. In order to further analyze the sustainable development level of the autonomous regions, it is compared with the three provinces with the largest GDP in Central China in the past three years, and similarly, with the three provinces in Eastern China. A new weighting method was proposed by combining the grey relational analysis (GRA) and set pair analysis (SPA) methods that not only analyze the correlation between indicators and ideal points but also analyze the status and development trend. The method can ensure the objectivity of indicator weight. Firstly, the ideal reference point is determined by the grey correlation degree between the indicator and the ideal positive point. Secondly, the indicator and the ideal reference point constitute a set pair system, and the relation number is used further to analyze the status and development trend of the indicator to determine the weight objectively. The sustainability results showed that the progress of the autonomous regions’ sustainable development in China was increased slowly in 2010–2019. For example, Ningxia and Xinjiang saw the slowest growth. The prime reason is that economic sustainability has declined severely. Although Inner Mongolia presented the highest increasing trends, the growth rate value was 0.75%. In contrast, other autonomous regions showed a negative growth trend. Regarding sustainable development in three dimensions, the economic sustainability performance of autonomous regions is not ideal, but the environmental sustainability performance is the most ideal. This conclusion implicates the necessity and urgency of improving the coordinated development of the three dimensions of autonomous regions in China.

Keywords: sustainability assessment; autonomous regions; grey relational analysis; set pair analysis; connection number (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
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