How strong is China’s navy?

China’s rapid naval buildup has allowed it to pull ahead of the U.S. Navy by the straightforward metric of number of battle force ships, and it continues to build at a rapid rate. The United States retains a large lead over the People’s Liberation Army navy by tonnage and a qualitative edge in several types of platforms – though the difference in quality is shrinking. The United States also works closely with other regional navies, though whether that will matter in crisis is open to debate.  

On July 26, Brookings hosted a discussion designed to assess the relative strengths of the world’s two most powerful navies. Reaching a clear but nuanced assessment of China’s naval strength is essential for U.S. strategy in Asia. Moving beyond the “quality versus quantity” debate, the discussion focused on areas of relative strength and comparative assessment.  

Viewers submitted questions via email to [email protected] and on Twitter/X @BrookingsFP using #NavalPower. 

This event is part of the Seas and Strategy series.