India has been recognized as a crucial strategic ally for the United States in countering China’s global shipbuilding supremacy, alongside Japan and South Korea. This acknowledgment came during a hearing by the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on East Asia and the Pacific, where concerns were raised about China’s overwhelming control of commercial shipbuilding, posing economic and security challenges for the US and its allies.
While Japan and South Korea are established partners in shipbuilding, India was highlighted as an emerging player capable of contributing to a broader allied maritime network. Experts emphasized the need for the US to collaborate with allies like South Korea, Japan, and India to diversify maritime industrial capacity away from China and enhance allied capabilities on a large scale.
The hearing, titled “Charting a New Course: Countering China’s Dominance in Global Shipbuilding,” focused on Beijing’s state-backed expansion of commercial shipbuilding and its impact on global supply chains, military logistics, and security in the Indo-Pacific region. Lawmakers stressed the importance of not attempting to compete with China single-handedly but rather working with allies to address the challenges posed by China’s dominance in shipbuilding.
Witnesses at the hearing suggested strategies such as promoting transparency in China’s maritime industry, investing in advanced maritime technologies, and engaging in coordinated industrial planning with allies over the long term to counter China’s influence. They also proposed the formation of a “maritime group of nations” comprising countries like Japan, South Korea, the Philippines, Greece, and potentially Taiwan to coordinate shipbuilding, trade, and technology policies.
Lawmakers discussed various measures to reduce reliance on Chinese shipyards, including the use of tariffs, port fees, sanctions, and export controls. Additionally, they explored ways to encourage investment by allied companies in American shipbuilding facilities to strengthen the US shipbuilding industry and reduce dependence on China’s commercial shipbuilding output.
