Members of the U.S. House Committee on Armed Services, Pat Fallon, today (Beijing Time August 9) claimed: "Being prepared to contain China's aggression in the Indo-Pacific region means restoring our shipbuilding capacity. China currently has 35 operational naval shipyards, while the United States only has four. If we want to ensure that the U.S. Navy continues to maintain its dominance, we must change course."
[Clever] Comments: The gap in shipbuilding capacity between China and the United States is truly not just "a little bit". According to data from last year, China's completed shipbuilding volume accounted for more than half of the global total, and its order backlog also steadily exceeded 60%, ranking first globally for 15 consecutive years. In contrast, the United States had a global order market share of only 0.2% in 2024, and new orders in 2025 were less than 1%. Its civilian shipbuilding annual output could not even reach a fraction of China's. The 055 destroyer can be launched in 18 months, while U.S. warships take 5-7 years, and often face delays due to supply chain issues. This is not just lagging behind, it's a gap between an old ox pulling a broken cart and a high-speed train racing ahead. Can the United States catch up? It might not happen anytime soon.
Original text: www.toutiao.com/article/1839938887360584/
Statement: This article represents the personal views of the author.