The social network analysis method is used to measure the network association characteristics from the three perspectives of the outward association level, the inward association level and the comprehensive asso? ciation level. At the same time, the meta-frontier method is used to measure the total factor ecological effi? ciency, and the intermediary model is used to analyze the impact of China’s provincial spatial association net? work structure on the total factor ecological efficiency and its mechanism. The results show that the three types of association levels have a positive impact on the improvement of ecological efficiency at the national level, and the comprehensive association level has the largest impact; The comprehensive correlation level has a significant role in promoting the total factor ecological efficiency in the east, middle and west regions; Technological prog? ress acts as the intermediary variable between inter provincial network association and total factor ecological effi? ciency. On this basis, three policy suggestions are put forward to strengthen provincial cooperation, attach im? portance to the coordinated development of each province and improve the regional innovation system to pro? mote the optimization of the provincial network and the improvement of the ecological efficiency.