Research on Generation Assessment of China's Coastal Port Groups

The port development has gone through three stages and the fourth generation port concept is proposed with the formation of economic globalization and the development of high- tech. The fourth generation port is positioned as port union and the incoming coalition with characteristics of highly modern,highly developed and highly commercial. Some of the ports in China already have some characteristics of the fourth generation port,but most of the ports are still in the conversion stage from the second generation to the third generation ports. This paper elaborates the concept of port generation and the fourth generation port,classifies China 's major ports,analyzes port generation based on clustering analysis method,makes a port- urban dimension graph,and discusses the inspiration to China's port development with the concept of the fourth generation port in different categories.