Trump has a US$30 billion plan to match China at shipbuilding. Can he win?

As part of the strategy, the Trump administration is considering setting aside a major portion of its US$150 billion defence reconciliation bill – under a special legislative process that allows Congress to fast-track funding – for naval shipbuilding.

The US has also been seeking to increase shipbuilding cooperation with Indo-Pacific treaty allies South Korea and Japan, in an attempt to match Beijing’s naval fleet in case war breaks out around Taiwan.

However, despite Washington’s resolve, the US might find it very difficult to match China’s shipbuilding capacity within Trump’s term, analysts warned.

Potential solutions such as involving regional allies would also face challenges, they said, citing factors including Washington’s political priority to keep jobs within the country.