Zhou Shan Island News

New Pilot Boats for Chinese

On June 16 Zhang Guangqin, Vice Minister of the Commission of Science, Technology, and Industry for National Defence --- a body set up by the Chinese central government to oversee China’s ship building industries --- announced that there would be a 14 percent increase in production from China’s yards in 2004. This would bring the country’s production to 10 million deadweight tons this year, compared with 8.8 million tons in 2004. He went on to say that Chinese yards earned nearly US$3.2 billion on the export of 5.6 million deadweight tons of vessels in 2004. This represents 70% of total construction. The balance of 30% was made of up ships and boats for domestic use. These include everything from crude oil carriers to naval ships and workboats.