Abstract: Taking the five port groups in China as the research objects and using the global-local analysis method, Gravity Center Movement Model and Exploratory Spatial Data Model, this paper builds a comprehensive evaluation index system to make a quantitative analysis of the spatial-temporal differences and features of port industry and economic growth in China's coastal areas between 1994 and 2014. Results indicate that:the gravity of Chinese port industry and economic growth of coastal areas sits in southern China, and tends to move toward Yangtze River Delta. On the global aspect, port industry shows a spatial-temporal difference of time and spatial dimension from significant positive correlation to significant negative correlation; economic growth keeps a spatial consistent significant positive correlation; port industry-economic growth goes through a "positive-negative-positive" stage on temporal and spatial dimension. On the local aspect, the H-H type region of port industry is moving from Pearl River Delta to Yangtze River Delta. And L-L type region is mainly in southwestern coastal area and the west of Pan-Bohai area; the H-H type region of economic growth is mainly in Pearl River Delta and Yangtze River Delta, with general trend remaining relatively stable. And L-L type region is mainly in Hebei, Guangxi and Hainan; two centers emerge in the L-L type region of port industry and economic growth and tend to expand toward their surrounding areas, the L-L type region center on Hebei and southwestern coastal area, but the spatial range of the two areas tends to decend.

Key words: port industry, economic growth, spatial-temporal differences, gravity movement, exploratory spatial data model