U.S. lawmakers have called for leveraging the shipbuilding expertise and workforce of allies like South Korea and Japan to counter China's dominance in the industry.
On July 22, the House Foreign Affairs Committee held a hearing on "Responding to China's Dominance in Shipbuilding," inviting experts from think tanks to provide insights.
During the hearing, both Democratic and Republican lawmakers pointed out that China's control over commercial shipbuilding poses significant vulnerabilities to U.S. economic and national security.
According to U.S. government investigations and research from the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), China currently accounts for more than half of the world's commercial shipbuilding output, while South Korea and Japan follow, with the U.S. share falling below 1%.
Rep. Ami Bera, a California Democrat and committee chair, stated, "We are increasingly falling behind China," adding, "We cannot catch up to China on our own."
Lawmakers from both parties agreed on the need to strengthen cooperation with allies like South Korea and Japan, which possess global shipbuilding competitiveness, to close the gap with China.
Rep. Young Kim, a California Republican, proposed bringing skilled South Korean shipbuilding workers to the U.S. to train American workers, aiming to rebuild the U.S. shipbuilding workforce and industrial base using South Korean technology and production experience.
Brent Sadler, a senior researcher at the Heritage Foundation, suggested forming a coalition of major maritime nations, expanding participation to include countries like the Philippines, Vietnam, Germany, Greece, the Netherlands, Norway, and Singapore, with South Korea and Japan at the center.
J. James Kim, director of the Korea Program at the Henry L. Stimson Center, noted that South Korea's automation technology and skilled workforce could contribute to the revitalization of the U.S. shipbuilding industry. However, he emphasized that the U.S. government must present long-term vessel ordering and procurement plans to encourage actual investment from Korean companies.
In addition to revitalizing the shipbuilding industry, the U.S. is also looking for participation from Asian allies like South Korea and Japan to ensure safe navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.
According to the U.S. State Department, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, currently in Manila for the ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting, mentioned the possibility of deploying Asian allies, including South Korea, to the Strait of Hormuz during a press briefing.
When asked if he had directly requested naval assets from allies, Rubio replied, "I did not make a direct request today," but noted that these countries rely heavily on oil and natural gas from the Middle East, making their contribution to safe navigation in the Strait beneficial for them as well.
He clarified that no agreements were reached during the trilateral meeting with South Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin and Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi, and that it was not a core agenda item. However, he added, "While I did not make a direct request today, I have had discussions with them in the past," explaining that each country has different domestic procedures and constraints, including legislative approvals. He continued, "I have raised this issue with several countries, and some have special capabilities, such as mine removal, which would be very beneficial if they participate in this effort."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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