New Delhi: China is now the dominant force in global shipbuilding, surpassing traditional leaders like Japan and South Korea. A recent report by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) highlights how China’s civil-military fusion strategy has driven this rapid expansion. The country now accounts for nearly 50 percent of global shipbuilding, combining commercial and naval production in state-owned shipyards.
China’s largest shipbuilding company, China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC), has built more tonnage in 2024 alone than the US has since World War II. This growth is fueled by international commercial orders from American allies like Japan, France, Australia, Greece, and Taiwan. Profits from these orders help expand China’s naval capabilities, making its navy larger than the US Navy in ship numbers and rapidly closing the gap in tonnage and technology.
The PLA Navy is almost two times India’s naval strength and is outpacing the US in key areas such as vertical launch missile systems. The US has imposed restrictions on Chinese defense firms, yet Western demand for China’s shipbuilding remains high, reinforcing its strategic position. This fusion of commercial and military production underscores China’s long-term ambitions for global maritime dominance.
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