Evaluation of the Degree of Synergy in High-Quality Development Among Inter-Provincial Adjacent Districts and Planning Recommendations: The Case Study of Anhui Province and Its Surrounding Provinces

As China’s economy accelerates its transition toward high-quality development, various regions are actively tapping into their distinctive resources to unlock economic potential and exploring pathways to achieve high-quality collaborative development with neighboring areas. This study endeavors to provide both theoretical insights and practical recommendations for the actual development of Anhui Province and its adjacent regions, through an in-depth analysis of their collaborative pursuit of high-quality growth. Employing the entropy weight method and the coupled coordination degree model, this research rigorously evaluates the extent of coordinated high-quality development between Anhui Province and its neighboring provinces, and offers effective planning suggestions grounded in the evaluation results. The findings reveal that (1) coastal cities generally demonstrate a higher level of comprehensive development compared to those located further inland; (2) cities with superior comprehensive development also tend to excel in economic growth, scientific and technological innovation, ecological advancement, and coupling coordination; (3) nevertheless, a higher level of comprehensive development does not necessarily imply better social service provision.