Soon after President Xi Jinping of China took power, he instructed top Communist Party leaders in a 2013 speech to turn the country into a “maritime superpower.”
China already has the world’s largest navy, though its ability to contend with U.S. naval forces remains in doubt. But leaders in Beijing have realized that maritime strength is not measured solely in firepower.
Success in commercial shipping would have “great and far-reaching significance” for Chinese national strength and security, Mr. Xi told the Politburo then, reminding the party that throughout history the most powerful nations were those that controlled the seas. Nearly a decade later, Mr. Xi’s vision is a reality.
China has become a global maritime powerhouse, with thousands of commercial vessels plying sea lanes, a vast shipbuilding industry capable of churning out more vessels and such dominance of global supply chains that it could bring the United States to its knees in a conflict.
The U.S. economy is heavily dependent on products and resources from China and East Asia, transported through shipping networks that are increasingly under the control of Chinese interests. China, including Hong Kong, owns more commercial vessels than any other country — almost twice as many as second-place Greece. It builds about half of the world’s large commercial ships, up from just 3 percent in 1993, and produces 96 percent of the world’s dry shipping containers.
Chinese entities have gained ownership shares in marine terminals and infrastructure around the world — including some U.S. terminals — through the Belt and Road Initiative, Mr. Xi’s global plan to extend his country’s economic reach. And a congressional advisory body has warned that Beijing could use shipping data to track cargo movements for commercial or strategic advantage. This includes movements of U.S. military equipment, much of which is transported via commercial shipping.
A vast majority of U.S. trade with China is done by sea, and the United States relies on Chinese imports of computers, smartphones, technical components and essential machinery. But China also dominates global production of specialized commodities like refined lithium and rare-earth products, crucial components in a range of high-tech products, including those with military applications.
The risk of overreliance on potential adversaries has been made clear by Russia’s throttling of natural gas to Western Europe, which has sent prices soaring and reduced supplies as winter approaches. America got a taste of its own vulnerability when skyrocketing demand for Chinese-made face masks and protective equipment early in the pandemic caused China to stall shipments, and subsequent supply-chain gridlock caused chaos for U.S. importers and exporters.
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