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Hunter: China Is Moving To Outstrip U.S. Naval Power
Washington, D.C. --- In an exchange at an Armed Services Committee hearing today, ranking Republican Duncan Hunter (R-CA) today told the Chief of Naval Operations that the U.S. Navy is in danger of being eclipsed by China’s growing maritime power. Admiral Gary Roughead, the highest ranking officer in the U.S. Navy, was testifying before the Armed Services Committee on the United States’ new long-term maritime strategy.
“In terms of commercial ship building, China is turning out 5,000 commercial ships a year versus 300 by the United States. They’re turning out an average of three submarines a year versus one by the United States. Undergirding that production is a production of 480 million tons of steel versus 99 million tons by the United States—a five to one advantage,” said Hunter.
“All that is giving them the industrial base that could allow the Chinese naval capability to outstrip the United States if they turn that commercial-shipbuilding capability into warship-building capability,” continued Hunter. “I’ve looked at your plan for construction and I see no adjustments in the American plan for construction that reflects this change and this emergence of communist China’s naval power as a major security concern for the United States."
“And in my estimation, there is something else that you should be doing. We are sending China $200 billion a year more than they are sending us. They are utilizing American trade dollars to arm, clearly. They are complementing their domestic naval construction with acquisition from places like Russia where they are purchasing the Sovremenny class missile destroyers. You’re aware of that,” said Hunter.
“I think you should be weighing in with the Administration with respect to their trade policy because that high cash flow that’s going to China from American consumers each year, pursuant to these unfair trade policies, is being transferred into military power,” concluded Hunter.
When pressed by Rep. Hunter on whether he is concerned about China’s massive shipbuilding capability, Admiral Roughead replied, “As someone who is involved in the maritime interests of this country, the fact that our shipbuilding capacity and industry is not as competitive as other builders around the world is cause for concern.“
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An audio clip of the exchange between Rep. Hunter and Admiral Roughead is available at https://armedservices.house.gov/hearing_information.shtml (Audio Transcript Part 2; Time: 48:30)