Changxing Island: A World-Class Shipbuilding Base

On May 25, 2026, the People's Daily published a report titled "An Island Transforms into a World-Class Shipbuilding Base (First-hand Observations on High-Quality Development of the Marine Economy)," focusing on the transformation of Changxing Island in Chongming District, Shanghai, from a small island at the mouth of the Yangtze River into a world-class shipbuilding base. 

One High-Tech Ship Launched Every 7.5 Days 

The report pointed out that on Changxing Island, approximately one high-tech ship was launched every 7.5 days last year. Orders for shipyards under the China State Shipbuilding Corporation, such as Jiangnan Shipyard and Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding, are already booked until around 2030. 

This achievement of "building better and faster" stems from continuous technological innovation. 

Faster Construction, Better Ships 

At Jiangnan Shipyard, construction method innovation is continuously optimizing shipbuilding processes. According to Qu Huanjun, Deputy Director of the Second Production and Operation Department of Jiangnan Shipyard, "Shipbuilding is like building with blocks; the larger each section is, the faster the 'assembly' becomes." 

Currently, the total construction cycle for an LNG carrier on the island has been shortened from over 30 months to 16-18 months, reaching an internationally leading level. 

Industry-University-Research Collaboration: Robotic Shipbuilding Becomes a Reality 

In terms of process innovation, stud installation robots and insulation plate installation robots, jointly developed by Shanghai Jiao Tong University and Jiangnan Shipyard, have been applied to the construction of LNG tanks at -163 degrees Celsius, replacing manual work at heights and near edges, doubling efficiency. 

Currently, the Changxing Marine Laboratory of Shanghai Jiao Tong University alone has 22 research teams closely working with various shipbuilding and marine engineering companies on the island. In addition, nearly 20 marine research institutions, including the Shanghai Research Center of the Hanjiang Laboratory, the 704 Research Institute of China Shipbuilding Group, and the Shanghai Ship Research and Design Institute, have gathered on Changxing Island to focus on tackling "bottleneck" technologies. 

Domestic Production Rate Exceeds 80% 

With continuous technological breakthroughs, the domestic production rate of shipbuilding equipment at Jiangnan Shipyard and Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding on Changxing Island has increased from less than 30% a decade ago to approximately 80% today. 

Since 2020, the output value of shipbuilding and marine engineering equipment on Changxing Island has grown rapidly. In 2025, the total output value of shipbuilding and marine engineering equipment on the island exceeded 90 billion yuan. According to the implementation plan issued by Shanghai Municipality, the industry scale will exceed 120 billion yuan by 2027. 

-This article is compiled by SMEOCEAN based on a People's Daily report (Page 2, May 25, 2026).

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