Waltz Advocates for South Korea-U.S. Shipbuilding Partnership to Challenge China’s Maritime Power

There is an expectation that Donald Trump’s second-term administration will strengthen cooperation with South Korea’s shipbuilding industry in response to the rapid growth of the Chinese navy. Michael Waltz, the nominated National Security Advisor for the second term, had repeatedly emphasized this even before the presidential election. Trump also mentioned the cooperation with South Korea’s shipbuilding industry during a phone call with South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol.

Yonhap News reported on Wednesday that Waltz has repeatedly stressed the importance of partnering with South Korean shipbuilders.

Waltz has underscored the critical role of naval power in the U.S.-China strategic rivalry. He’s been a vocal advocate for revitalizing America’s shipbuilding sector, which currently lags far behind China’s. Intelligence suggests China’s shipbuilding capacity now dwarfs that of the U.S. by a factor of 200.

Experts have long called for sustained government investment in the U.S. shipbuilding industry to address this disparity. Waltz argues for immediate collaboration with allies like South Korea, Japan, and India to boost shipbuilding and repair capabilities.

If the Trump administration takes office in January, Waltz is expected to pursue these initiatives aggressively.

During a discussion at the Atlantic Council on October 28, Waltz emphasized the importance of engaging Japan and South Korea due to their shipbuilding expertise and large-scale production capabilities, noting that cooperation with these nations is a short-term necessity. In a September article for Real Clear Defense, he highlighted the alarming disparity in shipbuilding capacity. China surpasses the U.S. over 200 times, stressing the need for a diverse fleet that includes U.S., Japanese, South Korean, and European vessels. Waltz also proposed that a comprehensive “National Maritime Strategy” should be developed to restore America’s diminishing maritime power, a plan he outlined in congressional guidelines earlier in April.