Political coordination, ship deliveries, and fleet tonnage

Why has PLAN shipbuilding appeared more successful than US Navy construction?

The explanation offered concerns political coordination, while the comparison cautions that ship numbers and total tonnage measure different aspects of a fleet.

Dr. Clarke attributes part of the difference in construction tempo to the number of political decision makers whose support a programme requires. His comparison contrasts concentrated approval in China with competing constituencies and parties in American procurement. The numerical comparison then distinguishes regular ship deliveries and hull counts from total displacement. Large American aircraft carriers contribute heavily to fleet tonnage, so counting ships and measuring their combined size answer different questions.