Restoring American Industrial Might to Counter China
By Pat Fallon
April 11, 2025
U.S. Navy
The Key to Countering China Requires Restoring American Industrial Might Here at Home
U.S. intelligence predicts a Chinese invasion of Taiwan by 2027, just two short years away. The fall of Taiwan would ensure China corners the world’s market for semiconductor chips—used in everything from cars to smartphones to satellites. A victory here for the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) would also no doubt embolden the authoritarian regime’s expansionist ambitions elsewhere.
The CCP has made it abundantly clear that its goal is to challenge U.S. global dominance and undermine the West politically, economically, and militarily. It’s no secret that China’s military expansion is proceeding at an alarming rate, even after you account for Beijing’s propaganda campaigns. Without a robust navy, the U.S. will be unable to project power in the Indo-Pacific and maintain the capability to deter CCP belligerence. In fact, while the U.S. Navy currently holds a technological advantage in terms of the ships and weapons systems at its disposal, China’s navy currently holds a four-to-one advantage in terms of ships deployed to the region. The United States would likely struggle to replace the loss of even a portion of its fleet should it become involved in a hot conflict with China in the near future.
The CCP has made up significant ground thanks to the weak leadership and inaction seen under the Biden Administration. At the same time, the focus of U.S. defense policy on counterinsurgency and post-Cold War consolidation has contributed to an atrophied defense industrial base. China has capitalized on this golden opportunity to modernize its military in significant ways, namely shipbuilding.
As of 2024, China controls over half of the world’s commercial shipbuilding market, while the United States’ share is about 0.1 percent. China’s gains and the United States’ shortcomings present a major threat to our national security and that of our allies and partners. Today, the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) is the largest in the world in terms of the number of ships, and it's expected to have a fleet of 425 ships by 2030. In comparison, the U.S. Navy is projected to have around 300 battle-ready ships.
https://www.realcleardefense.com/articles/2025/04/11/restoring_american_industrial_might_to_counter_china_1103368.html
