Feb. 1, 2007 (China Knowledge) – China’s ship output has recorded a new high of 14.52 million dead weight tons in 2006, almost a quarter of the world's total.

Officials with the Commission of Science Technology and Industry for National Defense said that although China is still behind South Korea and Japan in terms of shipbuilding capacity, the gap is narrowing.

Chinese shipyards clinched 42.51 million DWTs of new orders last year, said an official with the commission, while total ship-building orders amounted to 68.72 million DWTs at the end of last year, accounting for 24% of the world's total orders, he said.

According to an official with China State Shipbuilding Corp., China’s shipbuilding industry is entering a golden period and that the nation is expected to overtake South Korea and Japan to become the top shipbuilder in the world by 2015.