Qingdao-Jeju Shipping Route Launches Amid China’s Shipbuilding Dominance
A new direct container shipping route between Qingdao, China, and Jeju, South Korea, officially launched on Thursday, marking a significant development in regional logistics. The inaugural voyage of the “SMC RIZHAO” ship docked at the Qingdao International Cruise Terminal, signaling the start of weekly operations. This express route aims to enhance logistics efficiency and reduce costs, further integrating Shandong Province’s shipping network with South Korea.
China’s Shipbuilding Sector Maintains Global Leadership
China continues to assert its dominance in the global shipbuilding industry, leading in output, new orders, and order backlog for the first three quarters of 2025. According to the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT), the country’s completed shipbuilding output reached 38.53 million deadweight tons (DWT), reflecting a 6.0 percent increase compared to the previous year. However, new orders saw a decline, totaling 66.60 million DWT, down 23.5 percent. Despite this, the order backlog rose significantly, reaching 242.24 million DWT, a 25.3 percent year-on-year increase.
China’s share of the global shipbuilding market remains robust, accounting for 53.8 percent of completed output, 67.3 percent of new orders, and 65.2 percent of the order backlog, all measured by deadweight tonnage. When evaluated by compensated gross tonnage (CGT), these figures stand at 47.3 percent, 63.5 percent, and 58.6 percent, respectively. The China Association of the National Shipbuilding Industry recently reported that during the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-2025), the sector has experienced rapid growth across all key indicators, reinforcing its global leadership.
Notably, this period has seen the successful delivery of advanced vessels, including 300,000-ton very large crude carriers and dual-fuel car carriers. The construction of China’s first domestically built large cruise ship, the Adora Magic City, is also noteworthy, with the second large cruise ship at Shanghai Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding now 85 percent complete. The profitability of major shipbuilding enterprises has improved, with a recorded profit margin of 9.71 percent as of June 2025, the highest on record.
Factors Behind China’s Shipbuilding Success
Experts attribute China’s shipbuilding success to its economic strength and extensive trade scale. Bian Yongzu, executive deputy editor-in-chief of Modernization of Management magazine, emphasized that China is the world’s largest trading nation, hosting eight of the top ten ports globally. This creates substantial demand for ships, which, combined with a complete industrial chain and a comprehensive manufacturing base, supports the sector’s growth.
Technological innovation and industrial upgrading are also pivotal to China’s shipbuilding achievements. Bian noted that China leads in research and development investment and industrial technology, bolstered by strong financial support and advanced research capabilities. Furthermore, the country’s large pool of skilled workers ensures stable and efficient ship production, providing a competitive edge over many other nations.
