WASHINGTON — Some lawmakers on Capitol Hill are raising concern after The Wall Street Journal reported that China's ship-making capabilities are far outpacing that of the U.S. and its Western allies.
As things stand now, the size of the American Navy fleet is 292 ships. China's naval fleet totals 370 vessels and is expected to grow to about 435 warships by 2030.
House Armed Services Committee members are sounding the alarm.
"Make no mistake, these capabilities are being developed specifically to defeat our military and deny our ability to freely operate in the Pacific," said House Chair Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Alabama) during a hearing on Thursday. "We cannot let that happen. We can't let China, our adversary, outpace us on innovation."
Lawmakers also expressed concerns about how rapidly China is developing artificial intelligence, hypersonic, and space-based weapons.