Increasingly　prominent　pollution　levels　and　strong　regional　characteristics　of　O3,　especially　in　economically　developed　eastern　China,　called　for　a　regional　cooperation　strategy　based　on　transport　quantification.　This　study　adopted　the　complex　networks　to　construct　the　O3　Transport　Network　(OTN)　to　explore　characteristics　in　eastern　China　in　the　summer　of　2017　and　2021,　whose　results　were　afterward　verified　with　spatial　source　apportionment　results　simulated　with　WRF-CMAQ-ISAM.　As　OTN　suggested,　O3　transport　showed　stronger　and　faster　characteristics　in　eastern　China　in　2021　than　in　2017,　judging　from　changes　in　the　network　density,　number　of　connections,　transport　ranges,　and　transport　paths.　Among　all　cluster　communities,　inland　Shandong　was　the　most　important　O3　transport　hub,　the　Central　Community　was　the　largest　community,　and　the　Southern　Community　showed　the　closest　inter-city　transport　relationships.　In-　and　out-weighted　degrees　in　OTN　showed　relatively　superior　consistency　with　the　transport　matrix　obtained　with　WRF-CMAQ-ISAM,　and　can　be　explained　by　wind　fields.　Generally,　O3　pollution　in　the　whole　eastern　China　showed　more　frequent　intra-regional　transport　and　more　strengthened　inter-city　correlations　in　2021　than　in　2017,　meanwhile,　northerly　and　southerly　cities　exhibited　strengthening　and　weakening　trends　in　O3　transport,　respectively.　Despite　the　completely　different　principles　of　complex　networks　and　air　quality　models,　their　results　were　mutually　verifiable.　This　study　presented　a　comprehensive　understanding　of　O3　transport　in　eastern　China　for　further　formulation　of　regional　collaborative　strategies　and　provided　the　methodological　verification　for　applying　complex　networks　in　the　atmospheric　environment　field.　©　2023　Elsevier　Ltd