Shipbuilders ride wave of success

The shipbuilding sector in China topped the global market from January to October, the latest industry data shows.

In that period, China led the world in terms of vessel completion and orders, holding 49.7 percent of the global market in vessel completion, 67 percent of new orders and 54.4 percent of orders in hand, according to statistics from the China Association of the National Shipbuilding Industry.

Orders on hand for the country's shipbuilding industry reached a deadweight tonnage of 133.82 million by the end of October, an increase of 28.1 percent year-on-year.

The country's shipbuilders exported a combined $21.14 billion worth of vessels in the first 10 months, up 21 percent from the same period last year, according to the association.

In recent decades, China has become a global shipbuilding powerhouse, particularly in the high-end ship sector.

In 2008, Hudong-Zhonghua completed the maiden delivery of China's first self-built liquefied natural gas carrier, the Dapeng Sun, breaking the duopoly of Japan and South Korea in LNG carrier manufacturing.

In 2017, the country's first domestically built aircraft carrier, CNS Shandong, officially entered service.

Last month, China's first domestically made large cruise ship, Adora Magic City, was delivered in Shanghai.

Behind these breakthroughs and statistics are thousands of shipyard workers, who have played an important role in the development of the country's shipbuilding industry.