U.S. Chief of Naval Operations: China is a “Strategic Threat” to the United States

The U.S. Navy has identified China as a strategic threat to the United States, according to Admiral Michael Gilday, the U.S. Navy’s chief of naval operations. The top U.S. Navy officer cautioned that the balance of maritime power could change in the next decade. In response to this threat, the U.S. military has developed a new maritime strategy involving all three branches of the military.

Admiral Gilday, the U.S. Navy’s Chief of Naval Operations, spoke about the threat posed by China to the United States at an event on Tuesday (Oct. 13) at Defense One, a U.S. defense news and analysis website, about the current state of the U.S. Navy, according to the Navy Times.

He said, “Specifically, China is a strategic threat to our country.”

Admiral Gilday said the United States is developing a strategy to address this threat.

“The Commandant of the Coast Guard and I and the Commandant of the Marine Corps have also developed a tri-service maritime strategy …… We feel strongly that the balance of maritime power could be significantly affected this decade and that the time to act is now.”

The new maritime strategy, he said, will detail force design, guiding principles and planning guidance for commanders. Likewise, it will require all services to join forces and optimize their capability mix, and increase investment in new technologies to effectively deter China.

The United States is developing this new strategy, as Gilde revealed in March of this year.

A spokesperson for the U.S. Navy told the Navy Times that the Navy would announce the tri-service maritime strategy “soon.

The U.S. Navy also recently released its “Force 2045” plan. The plan calls for the United States to expand its fleet to accommodate more than 500 warships by 2045.

Currently, China has already surpassed the United States in terms of fleet size. According to a U.S. Department of Defense report to Congress this year, China has the world’s largest navy, with 350 surface ships and submarines. China is the world’s largest shipbuilder “by tonnage,” the report says, and is increasing its shipbuilding capacity.