To counteract China’s maritime and naval industrial dominance, the U.S. secretary of the navy is considering building commercial ships with Japanese support that would also be suitable for military use in an emergency.
In an interview with Nikkei Asia, Navy Secretary John C. Phelan said he was planning to discuss the idea of "dual-use" shipbuilding with Defense Minister Gen Nakatani during a meeting on Monday in Tokyo.
Phelan, who arrived in Japan on Sunday, was also expected to visit Japan Marine United's Isogo Works shipyard in Yokohama later in the day before flying to South Korea, where he is slated to visit several other shipbuilders as he reportedly seeks to pitch them on investing in U.S. shipyards.
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