Hanwha Philadelphia Shipyard [AP=Yonhap News file photo]

As South Korea and the United States actively pursue cooperation in the shipbuilding industry, Chinese state media has stepped in to keep the move in check, asserting that "the South Korean shipbuilding industry cannot achieve a second leap forward through an alliance with the U.S."

On the 10th, the Global Times, an English-language newspaper affiliated with the People's Daily, the official organ of the Chinese Communist Party, stated in an editorial-style 'GT Voice': "While there are claims in South Korea that cooperation with the U.S. in the shipbuilding sector will bring strategic advantages, it is questionable whether geopolitical support and political backing can provide a fundamental breakthrough for the industry."

It further emphasized, "South Korea-U.S. shipbuilding cooperation is essentially a strategic coordination aimed at achieving the U.S. goal of reviving its own shipbuilding industry," adding that "it will be of no help in solving South Korea's chronic problems, such as saturated shipyard capacity, severe labor shortages, and soaring costs."

Citing data from market research firm Clarkson Research, the Global Times noted that China accounted for approximately 72% of global shipbuilding orders in the first half of this year, while South Korea accounted for only 20%, and suggested 'competition and cooperation with China' as an alternative to the problems facing the Korean shipbuilding industry.

In particular, it highlighted that China possesses competitive advantages in supply chains and scale in the general-purpose merchant vessel sector, while South Korea maintains technological and brand competitiveness in high-value ship types such as ultra-large liquefied natural gas (LNG) carriers and ultra-large container ships, noting that there is significant room for the two countries to cooperate in low-carbon fuel and digital shipbuilding.

Furthermore, it argued, "South Korea's past success in surpassing Japan to become a global shipbuilding powerhouse was due to market development and technological innovation," adding that "for a second leap forward, it must prioritize its own unique solutions and efficiency improvements rather than relying on geopolitical influence."

This editorial is interpreted as having a strong intent to keep bilateral cooperation in check, as it was released shortly after the leaders of South Korea and the U.S. met on the sidelines of the NATO summit to hold follow-up discussions regarding the construction of naval vessels.

According to the Blue House, on the 7th (local time), President Lee Jae-myung conveyed his willingness to cooperate with U.S. President Donald Trump's request for naval vessel construction and introduced the manufacturing capabilities of Korean companies.

Last year, South Korea and the U.S. agreed to invest $150 billion (approximately 226 trillion won) in shipbuilding cooperation, out of a total of $350 billion (approximately 528 trillion won) in investments toward the U.S.