China Dethroned U.K’s Warship Building Capabilities & Surpasses The U.S As World’s Largest Naval Power
NYC- Wednesday, October 1, 2025
China's naval expansion has reached a historic scale, and it's reshaping global maritime power dynamics.
According to the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), between 2019 and 2023, China’s four largest shipyards—Dalian, Guangzhou, Jiangnan, and Hudong-Zhonghua—launched 39 warships with a total displacement of 550,000 tons.
🇬🇧 Surpassing the Royal Navy
The British Royal Navy operates a battle force fleet of 19 surface ships and 10 submarines, with a combined displacement of around 440,000 tons.
China’s output in just four years exceeds the entire Royal Navy, effectively replicating its fleet size in record time.
🇺🇸 Challenges The U.S. Navy
This rapid maritime expansion reflects the strategic challenge Beijing’s shipbuilding capacity poses to the United States, the long time dominant naval power.
As of mid-2025, China already operates the world’s largest navy by ship count with 234 warships, compared to the U.S Navy’s 219.
By 2030, China is projected to field 425 ships, while the U.S is expected to maintain around 300.
U.S. Navy and Pentagon officials have noted that China's total shipbuilding capacity—civilian and military combined—is many times that of the United States. In April 2025, the head of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command said the rate of Chinese warship production was roughly three times that of the U.S.
⚠️ Strategic Concerns
While China has a numerical advantage, the U.S. Navy still holds a qualitative edge, particularly in terms of overall displacement, advanced weaponry, and its large fleet of aircraft carriers.
However, China’s rapid shipbuilding capacity poses a serious challenge to U.S. deterrence strategies.
China’s shipyards now account for 53% of global shipbuilding, blending civilian and military production in “dual-use” facilities.
This industrial scale allows China to replace losses quickly in a prolonged conflict, giving it a wartime advantage.
The U.S. Government Accountability Office warns that aging American vessels and slow shipbuilding could erode naval dominance.
This Transformation Positions China as The World’s Largest Maritime Fighting Force.
U.S. and allied response
U.S. alarm: U.S. defense officials and analysts have described China's naval buildup as an "urgent threat" to military readiness and a serious challenge to deterrence in the Indo-Pacific.
Dual-use partnerships: In response, the U.S. Navy has discussed "dual-use" shipbuilding with allies like Japan, aiming to design commercial vessels that can be rapidly converted for military purposes.
Industrial strategy: The U.S. is now focused on an industrial strategy to revitalize its domestic shipbuilding sector over the long term and maintain its naval dominance.