The Structural Features and Centrality Optimization of a Firm Interlocking Network of the Nodal Cities on the South Route of the 21st-Century Maritime Silk Road: The Case of Fujian Province

Round 1

Reviewer 1 Report

Dear Authors,

It is clear to see that this manuscript is well prepared, with all the contents and structure proper and clear. The research used network analysis combined with Principal Component Analysis, and analyzed the core factors influencing the centrality of cities along the 21st-Century Maritime Silk Road. Below are a few suggestions:

1.      The format of the abstract should be revised. In the beginning, you need to introduce some research backgrounds in 1-2 sentences.

2.      Writing format should be carefully revised. There are some unmeaningful spaces, like in line 36.

3.      In the introduction, when you talked about the east route, the south route, and the west route, can you add a map to indicate where they are?

4.      In the literature review, you write that enterprises in information-related industries are seldom discussed to represent the city connection networks in China, but how about other countries' research?

5.      In 2.1, please add a map to indicate where is properly your study area in China. Because foreign readers may not know the Chinese or some Southeast Asian cities.

 

6.      The values smaller than ten should use English letters, like in line 340, change 6 to six.

 

Author Response

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Author Response File: Author Response.docx

Reviewer 2 Report

The authors may make the conclusion more informative with bullet points.
The authors may also be requested to explore and reflect on global prospects instead of only local prospects.

Author Response

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Author Response File: Author Response.docx

Reviewer 3 Report

Dear Authors,

Thank you for this interesting research. Kindly allow me to add some points/comments that may be beneficial

*Please do a thorough language check, there are some misplaced punctuation marks and full stops that should be removed, also some sentences are too long that they loose focus.

*Subsection 2.4.1 and 2.4.2 are the same (the second one should be interlocking network ?)

 *Also kindly explain what you mean by firm interlocking.

 

As I stated in my comments to the editors, I would have accepted this research in its current form had it not been for some language check for cohesion and punctuation. The research itself needs few minor modifications aside from language editing, like the similarity in two subsections and a much needed explanation of what the research team means by "firm network". Aside from that the research is very well put. There are no other points that I would like to add, although I do agree with the 1st reviewer in adding a map to better visualize the area.

 

Author Response

Please see the attachment.

Author Response File: Author Response.docx