世界造船的新“三国演义”

The competition of the world's three shipbuilding giants

China is the world’s third biggest shipbuilding country following Japan and South Korea. Currently, South Korea and Japan, two of the world’s four shipbuilding giants, take about 70 percent of the world’s shipbuilding market, with China and the European Union sharing 15 percent and 17 percent respectively. Industry statistics showed that China’s overall shipbuilding tonnage grew to a record high of more than 12.5 million last year from 8.8 million in 2004. It is predicted recently that the nation’s shipbuilding tonnage would exceed 15 million this year due to growing shipbuilding capacity and the number of orders received by domestic shipyards. CSIC plans to increase its annual shipbuilding capacity to more than 10 million tonnages by 2010. The shipbuilding tonnage of the nation’s other shipbuilding giant, China State Shipbuilding Corp, reached 5.13 million last year. The growing orders from shipping companies worldwide will bring great business opportunities for Chinese shipbuilders. Although it is very difficult for China to compete with the ROK and Japan, especially in such high-value added products as large liquefied natural gas and container carriers, we are optimistic about China’s chance. The draft outline of the country’s next five-year development program, currently under deliberation at the national legislature, sets forth the goals of strengthening the shipbuilding industry by improving the capacity for the self-design of ships and marine equipment, and the infrastructure for building heavy ships. Vigorous development of other industries that provide supporting equipment is suggested.