China’s Giant Shipbuilder CSSC Outlines Plans for Cruise, Deep Sea and Nuclear Powered Vessels
China State Shipbuilding Corp, the world’s largest shipbuilding group with control over about one third of the global market, has announced new plans to expand its portfolio by developing more cruise ships, deep-sea drilling vessels, and nuclear-powered ships. The move reflects Beijing’s ambition to strengthen the country’s position as a leading maritime manufacturer and to push Chinese shipbuilding further into high-value and high-technology categories. The announcement was made by Ma Yunxiang, assistant president of the conglomerate, during a briefing on Monday.
Ma highlighted the company’s recent progress, pointing to the construction of Adora Flora City, mainland China’s second domestically built cruise ship, as well as Mengxiang, the country’s first deep-sea drilling ship developed entirely with local expertise. According to him, these projects show the growing ability of Chinese shipyards to take on complex and advanced maritime engineering tasks. He added that Adora Flora City is expected to be delivered next year, which the company believes will demonstrate further improvement in China’s capability to build large cruise vessels.
The remarks came ahead of Marintec China, a major global maritime conference and exhibition set to run in Shanghai from Tuesday to Friday. Ma said CSSC would use the event to showcase its focus on building vessels that are more advanced, more environmentally friendly, and better equipped to operate in difficult conditions, including extreme weather. He noted that China’s ability to produce large ships has expanded significantly, now reaching an annual capacity of around 65 million deadweight tonnes.
According to industry estimates presented by Gong Kangkang, head of the international organising committee for Marintec, Chinese shipyards are expected to hold roughly 65 per cent of the global shipbuilding market this year. CSSC has played a central role in that growth, especially through its efforts to move up the value chain by developing cruise ships and other specialised vessels. This direction aligns closely with the goals set out in the country’s Made in China 2025 industrial strategy, which lists shipbuilding as one of ten essential technologies that China aims to master as it seeks to match global leaders in sectors such as robotics, semiconductor production, and new energy vehicles.
International competition is also a factor in the sector’s development. Shipbuilding has drawn renewed attention from policymakers in the United States, where President Donald Trump has proposed investing heavily in domestic shipyards to challenge China’s dominance.
CSSC’s subsidiary Shanghai Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding delivered the mainland’s first fully self built cruise liner, Adora Magic City, in 2023 after four years of construction. The ship measures 323 metres and required significantly more labour hours than a large capesize bulk carrier. The second vessel, Adora Flora City, is expected to showcase further advances in domestic manufacturing.
CSSC is also working to expand the share of locally sourced components used in its cruise ships. When Adora Magic City was completed in 2023, only about 40 per cent of its parts were supplied by Chinese companies. Efforts are underway to increase that figure. The company’s deep-sea drilling ship, Mengxiang, was delivered in late 2024 and is capable of drilling to depths of 11,000 metres while operating in harsh conditions.
Ma added that CSSC will also present its technologies for building nuclear-powered container vessels at Marintec. This year’s event covers an exhibition area of 110,000 square metres and is expected to host a record 2,200 exhibitors.
