China's ships are out of sight. Can the US catch up?

China’s shipyards build so many vessels that the balance of power on the high seas lies totally in its favour.

- Tan Dawn Wei Senior Columnist

When South Korea's new leader Lee Jae Myung visited the White House at the end of August, he brought along a juicy deal for US President Donald Trump - a US$150 billion (S$192 billion) package he nicknamed “Masga”, or Make America Shipbuilding Great Again.

After being threatened by 25 per cent tariffs, the US ally managed to assuage Mr Trump with the promise of US$350 billion in investments, including helping the US to revitalise its languishing shipbuilding industry - a priority that the Trump administration has set out as China speeds ahead to become a mighty global maritime power.

In April, the US President signed an executive order aimed at rebuilding the US’ maritime manufacturing capabilities “to promote national security and economic prosperity” and close the gap with China.

But the reality is, that gap is huge and impossible to close in the nearor even midterm: China is the biggest shipbuilder today, producing about half the commercial ships in the world while the US contributes less than 1 per cent. The second-largest shipbuilding nation is South Korea, which accounts for about 25 to 30 per cent, followed by Japan which is responsible for about 10 to 15 per cent of the global business.

It’s not just about commercial shipmaking. Political pundits have urged the US administration to work with its two Northeast Asian allies - South Korea and Japan - to tackle its shipbuilding crisis, which has profound implications for the US’ free-and-open Indo-Pacific strategy.

Sea power enables it to protect vital shipping lanes, uphold alliances, deter China, and ensure freedom of navigation across a vast, maritime-dependent region, making it indispensable to Washington’s strategy in the Pacific.

At stake in a ship war is not just economic strength, but military preparedness, global shipping influence, and the future balance of power on the high seas.