In the past decade, China's navy has built a large number of new ships with astonishing speed and scale, demonstrating the strong strength of China's engineering and science and technology, and also shocking the world. However, starting in 2023, the speed of shipbuilding in our navy has slowed down significantly, and the total tonnage has also decreased by 540,000 tons, what's going on? Did you encounter any difficulties? Or are there other considerations?
The slowdown in ship building is not a technical problem.
Some people may speculate whether the slowdown in the shipbuilding speed of our navy is due to technical bottlenecks or problems with the production line. Actually, these are not the real reasons. The armament of our navy has entered a stage of technological maturity and stability, many ships have been finalized and upgraded, production lines have been established and improved, there is no shortage of raw materials and accessories, and the conditions and capabilities for building ships are available.
Last year, China's navy is still building two Type 055 10,000-ton destroyers, namely No. 09 and No. 10 ships, as well as eight Type 054A new frigates, as well as a Type 039C submarine, these ships are the main equipment of our Navy, and they are also the representative works of our industry, their technical level and combat effectiveness are world-class, and there are no problems to solve.
So, why is our Navy slowing down the pace of shipbuilding? This is actually for a longer-term and more holistic view. On the one hand, China's navy should take into account how to better integrate the newly added ships into the existing fleet, how to carry out effective training and running-in, and how to rationally replace and decommission old ships.
On the other hand, China's navy should take into account the direction and needs of future development, how to formulate a rational shipbuilding plan and goals, how to form a virtuous circle and balance with the shipbuilding industry, and how to adjust and optimize the structure and configuration of the fleet in accordance with the international situation and national interests.
On the contrary, this is a new stage in the improvement of China's naval strength, from the quantity to the improvement of quality, from the expansion of scale to the improvement of efficiency, from the speed of the race to the precision of the race, from the following learning to the leading innovation, this is a higher level of requirements, but also an opportunity for greater challenges.
The shipbuilding capability of our navy has reached the world's advanced level, even surpassing that of the developed countries in the West, and this is an indisputable fact and an achievement to be proud of. The speed of building ships in our navy has also created a world miracle, and the total tonnage of the annual ranking can be comparable to the total naval force of a Western country, which is an astonishing figure and an awe-inspiring force.
The slowdown in the construction of ships in our navy is not due to the fear of misunderstanding or smearing by the West, nor is it due to a lack of confidence or motivation, but because it has a clearer understanding and a more ambitious goal, and only by persistently developing the national defense cause and building a stronger national defense strength can we truly safeguard the security and interests of the country and the people, truly cope with the complex and changeable international situation, and truly realize the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.