Staff Reports
U.S. Navy Secretary Del Toro has sounded the alarm about the enormous threat posed by China to our military. The Biden administration’s budget proposal has failed to keep up with inflation, meaning our military could become dangerously underfunded. Meanwhile, China is expected to have an astonishing 440 naval vessels by 2028, overshadowing America’s 291 ships.
Biden's budget proposal cuts funds to the Navy that would force it to retire almost a dozen ships and take offline missile systems that serve as a primary deterrent to Chinese aggression.
The proposal comes as China ramps up shipbuilding.
Via @Kredo0 https://t.co/1lE5DtIoMo
— Washington Free Beacon (@FreeBeacon) March 29, 2023
Del Toro highlighted the Chinese Navy’s aggressive build-up, which is a key part of their increasingly threatening approach to international relations. They are currently conducting “active, aggressive maritime activities” in the South China Sea and other regions which could undermine international law and threaten America’s interests.
Admiral Michael Gilday, chief of naval operations, said that this is part of China’s plan “to displace the U.S. Navy,” while pursuing actions that are “just short of war.” This is extremely concerning, as the People’s Liberation Army Navy has created an offensive warfighting system aimed squarely at America’s maritime power.
China has also threatened the United States with “serious consequences” after an American warship passed through the South China Sea near the Paracel Islands. This is despite the fact that China’s claim to sovereignty over these islands is contested by both Taiwan and Vietnam, and America rejects their jurisdiction over the surrounding waters.
Clearly, the Biden administration needs to take this threat seriously and provide adequate funding for the military to ensure that we can maintain our naval primacy. The world is changing rapidly, and America needs to stay ahead of those who seek to harm us.
