Current State of Shipbuilding in China and Directions of Development of the Industry in the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-2025)

In 2010 China became the world’s largest shipbuilding power, although in 1949 China had virtually no navy, let alone a shipbuilding base. This success was made possible, first of all, due to the active participation of the state. In this article, the author analyzes the state of shipbuilding at the end of the 13th Five-Year Plan: achievements and bottlenecks. Despite the fact that the country has become a world leader and one of the world’s largest ship exporters in terms of total shipbuilding output, it should be noted that China specializes in low-value-added ships with simple mass-produced technological solutions (bulk carriers, container ships, and partly oil tankers). By the beginning of the 14th Five-Year Plan, China had lost its main advantage the availability of cheap labor. In the current five-year plan, shipbuilding is mentioned as one of the industries for which tasks have been set to increase the level of modernization and optimization of production, as well as to enhance the competitiveness of the industry. China needs to transform its shipbuilding industry, which means moving towards building ships that run on alternative energy sources, smart ships, and, as a result, producing products with high added value.

China, R&D, “green” ships, “smart” ships, alternative energy sources, labor force, competitive advantages