Key facts
- Premier Li Qiang visited state-owned shipbuilding and nuclear power firms in China's industrial northeast.
- Li called for breakthroughs in high-end equipment manufacturing and bolstering core industrial competitiveness.
- He emphasized tracking international technological frontiers and strengthening industrial cooperation.
- China's shipbuilding sector is increasingly focusing on high-value segments like LNG carriers.
- Li highlighted the need for enterprises to lead innovation and accelerate research and development.
Premier Li Qiang has emphasized the need for China's old industrial hubs in the northeast to transition towards high-value manufacturing, particularly in sectors like shipbuilding and nuclear power. During an inspection of state-owned firms in Liaoning province, Li urged these companies to achieve technological breakthroughs and enhance their core industrial competitiveness.
Li highlighted the long history and solid foundation of Dalian's shipbuilding industry, stressing that it must closely follow international technological advancements. The goal is to secure continuous progress in key fields and foster cooperation to establish advanced manufacturing clusters and world-class shipbuilding bases. This push comes as China's shipbuilding dominance raises national security concerns in Washington, which views commercial shipyards as potential dual-use threats.
While China is known for mass-producing standard vessels, its shipbuilding sector is actively shifting towards more complex and high-value segments, such as large liquefied natural gas (LNG) carriers. Li underscored that high-end shipbuilding is characterized by advanced technology, complexity, and high added value. He called for reinforcing the role of enterprises as the primary drivers of innovation, accelerating research and development of critical technologies, and cultivating a skilled workforce of technical experts and experienced industrial workers.
