How much do you know about China's emergence as a global maritime power?

China's Rise as a Global Maritime Power

• China's economic growth and government prioritization have enabled it to become a key player in global maritime trade.
• China has developed some of the world's largest and busiest ports, with 11 ports ranking among the top 100 in the Liner Shipping Connectivity Index (LSCI).
• Chinese ports are more efficient than their competitors, with Chinese ports being busier and handling more container throughput than any other country.
• China's government has played a crucial role in spurring the growth of Chinese ports and investing heavily in constructing new port facilities and upgrading existing port infrastructure.
• China's ambitions to become a global maritime power are backed by heavy investments, with the goal of transforming China into a global maritime power capable of advancing the nation's military and commercial interests at sea.
• Chinese state-owned enterprises have been engaging in investment and construction projects at dozens of ports around the world, primarily through the Maritime Silk Road (MSR) component of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).
• Chinese companies have invested nearly $11 billion into overseas ports between 2010 and 2019, with deals signed on more than 80 port projects during the same period, totaling almost $70 billion.
• Many Chinese-backed projects have not taken off as planned, with some ports remaining heavily underutilized and others failing to materialize due to pushback from recipient countries or other factors.
• There are concerns that Chinese-built ports could someday house facilities to support the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA), as seen in Djibouti, where China has constructed military facilities adjacent to the commercial Port of Doraleh.
• Other major players, such as India and Japan, are engaged in port projects in the region, offering a potential counterweight to China's economic influence.
• China's port development abroad will continue to play a major role in shaping maritime connectivity across the Indo-Pacific region and East Africa.
• The 13th and 14th Five-Year Plans call for the establishment of "port clusters" that would be better integrated into the overall development of critically important economic regions, with the goal of possessing 27 major coastal ports and 36 major inland river ports by 2035.