BEIJING, March 12 (Xinhua) -- China will strive to become a leader in global shipbuilding by 2015, the country's industrial authority said Monday.
Over the next three years, the industry's structure will become more rational, and its innovation and overall quality will be significantly improved, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) said in a development plan for the ship industry during the 12th Five-Year Plan (2011-2015).
"During the 11th Five-Year Plan, China's ship industry experienced rapid growth," according to the plan.
China had become the world's largest ship builder by 2010, when it built ships with a total deadweight capacity of 65.6 million tonnes. The country occupied a 43.6 percent share of the global ship market that year.
But the ministry said further development is vital to enhancing China's national strength and transport security as well as refining its use of marine resources.