China is now the world's leading shipbuilding nation

China has become the leading country in shipbuilding, raising concerns in the United States. A recent report from the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) highlights how China's policies have negatively impacted the shipbuilding industries in the US and its allies. Japan and South Korea, once leaders in the market, are finding it hard to compete with China. The US shipbuilding sector's share of the global market has dropped to only 0.11 percent as of 2024. This is a stark decline from the past. In the past two decades, the balance of naval power has shifted. The US Navy had 282 battle-force ships while China had 220. Today, however, China has surpassed the US, with 400 ships compared to America's 295. The growing capabilities of China’s shipbuilding industry have alarmed Pentagon officials. They are concerned about relying on vessels built in China while facing increased competition on the seas.