HIT PAUSE ON CHINESE SHIP ORDER

 

BC Ferries chose a PRC state yard to build our next ships. Beijing just tightened tech export controls—proof supply is a switch, not a stream. Premier Eby, Prime Minister Carney: hit pause, run a security review, or re-procure with allies.

Build Our Ferries in China—Now? Hit Pause.

October 2025 • Op-ed

 

On June 10, 2025, BC Ferries chose a Chinese state‑owned shipyard in Weihai to build four New Major Vessels, with deliveries starting in 2029. That decision may have made sense on paper in spring. It looks reckless in October.

In recent weeks Beijing has expanded export controls and licensing on critical inputs to modern industry—materials and components that show up everywhere in ships: motors, drives, sensors, and power electronics. The signal is unmistakable: supply can be a switch, not a stream.

Layer onto that China’s security laws, which can compel Chinese companies to “support, assist and cooperate” with state objectives. When a fleet’s software updates, diagnostic access, or parts supply depend on vendors under that legal umbrella, we import geopolitical risk straight into the engine room.

This isn’t abstract. A coastal ferry system is a lifeline. If export controls, sanctions, or politics interrupt parts, firmware keys, or remote support, vessels can be sidelined. Speeding procurement today is not a strategy if it surrenders leverage over tomorrow’s sustainment—drawings, tooling, source code, and spares.

So here’s the ask—short, sharp, and practical.

Premier David Eby and the Prime Minister: hit pause and order an independent national‑security review before steel is cut. Require, at minimum:

·       Full technical data packages held in Canada, including maintenance and overhaul documentation.

·       Source‑code and signing‑key escrow in a neutral jurisdiction so updates can continue regardless of geopolitics.

·       Multi‑sourced critical systems (motors, drives, PLCs, navigation/communications) from allied‑country OEMs with Canadian service footprints to avoid single‑vendor firmware lock‑in.

·       Contractual “lift‑and‑shift” rights and performance bonds so work can move to another yard if sanctions or export controls bite.

If those terms can’t be guaranteed and verified, re‑procure in Canada or with an allied yard. A brief delay now beats an immobilized fleet later.

This isn’t about posturing. It’s about keeping ferries sailing when the world turns rough. Our coastal lifeline shouldn’t be wired to someone else’s wall.

Over to you, Premier and Prime Minister. The risk picture changed. Our plan should, too.