University of California Institute on Global Conflict and Cooperation

China’s growing shipbuilding prowess is very relevant to the analysis of China’s defense and dual-use economies. A recent article from the Economic Daily Times says China’s shipbuilding development should focus on seeking deeper integration between civil and military shipbuilding to “develop areas of mutual benefit and raise ship technology to new levels.” Dual-use aspects of commercial shipbuilding are fewer than in the aviation and spaceflight sectors, for example, and direct civil-to-military technology transfer is limited. That said, the development of maritime industry human capital, indigenous industrial innovation, and the ability to rapidly build merchant-type ships all have important defense implications.