China's first large liquefied natural gas (LNG) ship is currently being built by China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC) and is expected to be delivered at the end of 2007. LNG ship-building technology is the most advanced in the world and fills a blank in China's shipbuilding industry.

China's shipbuilding industry continued to grow rapidly in 2006, with the number of orders growing significantly and international competitiveness improving. China remains the third largest shipbuilder in the world behind the Republic of Korea and Japan, and the gap is narrowing. Currently, CSSC has orders for ships with a combined carrying capacity of over 30 million tons at a contract value of over 150 billion yuan. It took the second largest number of orders of any single company in the world in 2006.

By Peaple's Daily Online