Will The Covid-19 Coronavirus Pandemic Slow Down The Expansion Of China's Navy

This image Analysis of photo of Chinese shipyard in December 2019 illustrates the scale of China's naval shipbuilding. H I SUTTON, With permission from @LOONGNAVAL

Forbes: The Chinese Navy’s Expansion Could Be Slowed By Coronavirus

China’s naval expansion seems unstoppable. New warships are being built at an incredible rate, radically modernizing the fleet and adding new capabilities. But the ongoing coronavirus pandemic could slow the momentum.

Multiple shipyards are building large numbers of air defense destroyers, frigates and even aircraft carriers. But work in yards has slowed as workers stay away due to the virus. Reports indicate that civilian construction has been impacted, which may be an indicator of the situation in naval yards.

In its March 16 situation report global marine insurer North reports that “the efficiency of the shipyards in Zhoushan decreased substantially.” Offshore Magazine reported that “staffing and supply shortages in China, ... will in turn delay project deliveries by at least three to six months.” Reuters also recently reported that “ship deliveries have been hit as yards in China struggle.”

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WNU Editor: I expect a slowdown for a few months on China's massive naval shipbuilding program. The supply chain in China has after-all been disrupted by this pandemic. But once this is all over, I for one would not be surprised if China doubles down on its naval and other military procurement projects to increase employment in order to mitigate the impact of the global economic slowdown that everyone is now expecting.