Advertisement
Advertisement
TOPIC

China shipbuilding

China shipbuilding
The latest news, analysis and opinion on China shipbuilding. In-depth analysis, industry insights and expert opinion.
Ships under construction at China Merchants Industrial Nanjing Jinling Shipyard in Nanjing, Jiangsu province, China, on April 16. Photo: Getty Images
US, Israel war on Iran

The Iran war’s unlikely winner: China’s shipyards

China already dominates global shipbuilding orders – and the Strait of Hormuz crisis appears to be boosting demand.

20
US-China relations

Trump’s military push confronts US lawmakers and China’s shipbuilding edge

videocam
20
China technology

China sails into AI era with ambitious smart shipping targets

Mainland China

China’s high-end yacht owners say industry growth stifled by structural gaps

Shipowners say billionaire Richard Liu’s new venture to make yacht ownership more affordable will need to surmount significant challenges.

videocam
Richard Liu’s brand, Sea Expandary, has signed a strategic framework agreement with the coastal cities of Shenzhen and Zhuhai in Guangdong, for a high-end yacht industrial base with planned investment of about 5 billion yuan. Photo: handout
Mainland China

Iran war exposes a weakness in China’s vast shipping sector: a lack of insurers

China’s maritime sector still relies on overseas legal and financial service providers, a potential strategic vulnerability in a turbulent world.

videocam
Japan

‘Not easy’: Japan mulls building its own LNG carriers amid Iran energy crisis

China and South Korea dominate global production of vessels for carrying natural gas, but Japan now sees industry as key to its energy security.

videocam
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
China technology

Editorial | China steps up its clean energy push with electric ships

As the world’s largest shipbuilder and a leader in EVs and advanced batteries, the country is well placed to help clean up the polluting shipping industry.

The Gezhouba, China’s biggest all-electric bulk carrier, being launched in Yichang, Hubei province, on October 23, 2025. Photo: Xinhua
Open Questions series

Open Questions | US shipbuilding revival looks dead in the water, Li Yanqing says

China commercial shipbuilding veteran doubts protectionist US can take business from market-oriented Chinese yards, and slams Washington’s ‘fabricated facts’ about their rise.

videocam
Transport and logistics

Open Questions | Top shipbuilding voice Li Yanqing rebukes Washington’s ‘China threat’ narrative

China’s national shipbuilding association official calls US port fees ‘absurd’ and politically motivated, while asserting China’s market lead is solid despite global fluctuations.

21
China's military weapons

China’s 155mm naval gun on test vessel signals boost to amphibious landing power

The weapon – reportedly capable of firing guided munitions – represents a significant upgrade for PLA Navy.

Photos of China’s new 155mm weapon mounted on the bow of a test vessel have recently emerged on Chinese social media. Photo: Handout
China travel

China’s cruise industry passes major milestone as Beijing eyes travel boom

As domestic liner handles 1 millionth passenger, Beijing says it aims to turn yachts and cruise ships into major new consumption drivers.

videocam
5
The Adora Magic City is the first Chinese-made large cruise ship. Photo: Getty Images
China manufacturing

Stern rebuke: China shrugs off 2025 US threats to anchor shipbuilding dominance

Despite a market share dip, Chinese yards extend their commanding lead in key indicators, as high exports and lengthy backlogs signal resilience despite rivals’ gains.

videocam
4
US-China relations

‘Wartime footing’: US Navy chief unveils Trump’s Golden Fleet shipbuilding push

John Phelan says it is essential that America matches China’s superior production capacity and manufacturing workforce.

videocam
79
China economy

China’s shipyards still lead the world, but US threats took a toll in 2025

Chinese shipbuilders saw their market share dip for the first time in five years in 2025, as uncertainty over US port fees roiled the industry.

videocam
4
A ship is under construction at a shipyard in China’s eastern Jiangsu province. China remains the world’s top shipbuilder, but its market share dipped last year amid uncertainty over US port fees. Photo: AFP
China's military weapons

Is China quietly preparing cargo ships to transform into military vessels?

Containers bear the words ‘plan for the maritime revival of the Chinese nation and the community of shared future for mankind in the ocean’.

videocam
13
Images of a cargo ship in Shanghai carrying containerised vertical launchers, sensors and self defence systems have gone viral online. Photo: Wexin
United States

Trump announces new class of ‘battleships’ named after himself

According to Trump, the ships, the first of which will be named the USS Defiant, will be substantially larger than existing US destroyers.

15
Made in China 2025

Exclusive | China’s oldest shipyard Jiangnan plans world’s first nuclear-powered vessel

Construction on 25,000-container ship could start in the next 10 years, but a lot remains to be done, a top executive says.

6
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Mainland China

Chinese shipyards shift focus to advanced vessels as rivals gain ground

Chinese shipbuilders accounted for 65 per cent of global orders in the first three quarters, down from nearly 75 per cent a year earlier.

A model of China’s polar research icebreaker Xuelong 2, or Snow Dragon 2, is displayed at the Marintec China exhibition at the Shanghai New International Expo Centre in Shanghai. Photo: Xinhua
US-China trade war

Beijing woos foreign firms as China seeks bigger role in global shipbuilding supply chain

From cruise ships to deep-sea ocean drillers, China aims to open its vast shipbuilding industry wider to overseas partners.

videocam
Made in China 2025

China’s CSSC unveils plans for cruise, deep-sea and nuclear-powered vessels

CSSC’s plan to develop specialised vessels is in line with Beijing’s ambition to transform the country into a shipbuilding powerhouse.

4
China travel

China Tourism Group to chart new course in bid to dominate Asia’s cruise market

The combined venture will reportedly operate five cruise ships, with another under construction, as China strives to grow the industry.

videocam
A cruise ship operated by Adora Cruises, a Chinese cruise line, heads towards a port in China’s eastern Shandong province. Photo: Getty Images
US-China trade war

US-China port fee suspension brings backlash as well as relief

Democrats, labour unions and industry analysts condemn decision despite shippers saying the move will give global trade a vital boost.

videocam
A Chinese flag flies from a ship at the Port of Oakland in the US state of California in April. Photo: AP
US-China relations

US unions slam Trump for giving China a pass on shipbuilding

The US president’s trade truce includes a pause on measures related to China’s actions in the maritime, logistics and shipbuilding sectors.

videocam
5
United States

As I see it | In Trump’s rare earths rant, US soldiers find a weary world policeman

In the face of China’s rare earth export controls, the US is desperate for alternatives to keep its advanced weapons systems modern and mobile.

videocam
8
US-China trade war

Why lingering questions remain as US-China port-fee pause buoys shipping outlook

Hope for a permanent agreement persists, and one analyst calls saga ‘a painful reminder how shipping is just a pawn in the superpower tussle for supremacy’.

videocam
A China Shipping cargo container sits stacked at the Port of Long Beach in California earlier this year. Washington and Beijing have agreed to suspend port fees for a year. Photo: AFP
US-China decoupling

Trump approves plan for South Korea nuclear submarine ahead of Xi meeting

US president praised Seoul as ‘serious partner’ in shipbuilding, a sector embroiled in trade tensions, before meeting with Chinese leader.

videocam
18
US President Donald Trump poses for a photo with South Korean President Lee Jae-myung during an event in Gyeongju on Wednesday. Photo: AP
US-China trade war

American lawmakers told US must learn from China to revive shipbuilding

Experts urge long-term planning, government funding and consistency to close Beijing’s massive lead in the sector.

videocam
4
US-China trade war

To counter China, Trump’s Asia trip seen shoring up shipbuilding with key allies

With China dominating the global shipbuilding industry, and amid a port-fee dispute with Washington, the US president sees new strategic partnerships as critical.

videocam
26
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Help preserve 120 years of quality journalism.
SUPPORT NOW
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement