The Chinese shipbuilding industry has been developing at a much faster pace in recent years. Many Chinese shipbuilders received increasing orders over the past two years. China is expected to become the world’s biggest shipbuilding company. This comes as the shipbuilding industry first shifted from Western Europe to Japan and then on to South Korea. Now with the continued growth China is a major player in the shipbuilding industry. China, currently the third biggest shipbuilding country in the world, received shipbuilding orders totaling 30.6 million tons in 2005 showing a rise of 11 percent compared to 2004. (July 3)