Would international economic cooperation promote sustainable economic development in ocean rim regions? Evidence from the Indian Ocean

As ocean rim regions have emerged as notable arenas for global factor mobility and economic dynamism, understanding how international economic cooperation shapes sustainable economic development disparities within these regions has become an increasingly important issue. This paper uses the Indian Ocean Rim Region (IORR), a geoeconomically diverse and strategically significant area, as a case to explore whether and how the structural characteristics of international economic cooperation networks might be associated with the efficiency of sustainable economic development (ESED) disparities. The research aims to provide a network-based analytical perspective for IORR countries by systematically examining the structural dynamics of regional economic cooperation and its association with sustainable development. Using macroeconomic and environmental data, this study constructs a Global Super-efficiency SBM (GS-SBM) model with undesirable outputs to establish a unified cross-country benchmark for ESED, and empirically examines the relationship between cooperation-network characteristics and ESED disparities through social network analysis (SNA) and quadratic assignment procedure (QAP) regression. In addition, scenario simulations are used to capture the potential restructuring effects associated with the involvement of extra-regional major powers (e.g., China, Japan, and the United States). The findings indicate that variations in network centrality are closely associated with ESED disparities, implying that countries' structural positions within cooperation networks may shape their capacity to coordinate resources and navigate green transitions. Furthermore, the involvement of extra-regional major powers may alter the hierarchical structure of the regional network, thereby reshaping the distribution of development opportunities across member countries. This study provides useful insights for policymakers and academics, contributing to a more nuanced understanding of the potential association between international network positioning and regional sustainable development outcomes. Meanwhile, it offers useful reference points for the strategic economic engagements and sustainability policies of IORR countries.