[6] In 1964, the Sixth Ministry of Machine Building was created[8] to oversee China's shipbuilding enterprises, which were predominantly engaged in military work.

[12] In the late 1990s, economic reforms broke up state-owned monopolies and introduced "a limited amount of free-market competition" to improve the efficiency of defence industries.

[14] The shipbuilding industry was divided roughly along geographical lines: CSSC retained assets in the east and south,[15] and CSIC gained control in the northeast and inland.

[15][18] Enterprises not affiliated with either conglomerate included shipyards owned by the People's Liberation Army (PLA), provinces, municipalities, foreign joint ventures, and Chinese shipping companies.

[22] In November 2020, American entities were prohibited by U.S. Presidential Executive Order 13959 from owning shares in companies—including CSSC—linked to the PLA by the United States Department of Defense.