CHINA will build three shipyards at Bohai Bay, the mouths of the Yangtze River and the Pearl River over the next five years, according to the national shipbuilding authority.

The country will enhance management in the shipbuilding industry from this year to 2010 by speeding up the construction of three major shipyards, and by enhancing the development of new ship types, establishing modern shipbuilding models and developing the building technology for ship accessories, according to China's medium and long-term shipping development plans.

It is time for China to further develop its shipbuilding industry. China's shipbuilding industry is now at a critical stage where it can become even stronger. In the next ten years, China will face opportunities and robust demands from international markets as well as an improved domestic macro-economy, as shipbuilding centers around the world move from other countries to China.

However, China still needs to face a series of challenges, such as fierce competition, industry uncertainties, weak innovation abilities and less-developed accessory building technologies.

With the abundance of skilled human resources, a long coastline and a strong demand from the domestic market, China has been the third largest ship builder around the world for 11 years. Its proportion in the world's shipbuilding industry has surged from six percent in 2000 to 20 percent last year.

China built 12 million deadweight tons of ships last year, accounting for 18 percent of the world's total.

Source:佚名