Analysis of the Coupling Coordination and Spatial Difference Between Economic and Ecological Environment: A Case Study of China

This study adopts a sustainable development perspective to examine the economic and ecological coordinated progression and spatial disparities across 30 regions in China from 2011 to 2022. Firstly, detailed analysis of CCD reveals that coordination between the ES (economic subsystem) and the EES (ecological environment subsystem) in 30 regions of China has been rising annually. However, the overall level of coordination remains relatively limited. Second, the analysis of kernel density estimation (KDE) shows that the coordination degree between ES and EES across various regions exhibits considerable variability, with the disparity becoming increasingly pronounced. Third, trend surface (TS) analysis indicates that there exist regional variations in the degree of coordination between ES and EES. Specifically, the east experiences an upward trend, while the west exhibits a downward trend. Similarly, the south shows an increase, whereas the north demonstrates a decrease. With ongoing development, it has been observed that the coordination degree remains relatively stable in the east–west direction; however, the disparity between the north and south is increasing. Fourth, an analysis of global Moran’s I reveals a pronounced positive spatial autocorrelation. Finally, the analysis of local Moran’s I reveals that Jiangsu, Fujian, Anhui, and Jiangxi provinces exhibit significant high–high clusters, while the three regions of Xinjiang, Gansu, and Ningxia have always been low–low clusters.