China’s Shipbuilding Capacity 232 Times Greater Than America’s

A United States Navy briefing slide highlights the stunning and growing disparity between the size of the Chinese Navy compared to that of America’s, the War Zone reported July 11. The numbers are based on analyses by the Office of Naval Intelligence examining shipbuilding capacity and intent. They begin in 2020 and project forward to 2035 in five-year increments, based on current trends and expectations.

• 2020—Chinese Navy, 355 vessels; U.S. Navy, 296
• 2025—Chinese Navy, 396 vessels; U.S. Navy, 287
• 2030—Chinese Navy, 435 vessels; U.S. Navy, 290-291
• 2035—Chinese Navy, 475 vessels; U.S. Navy, 305-317

“[T]here is clearly a major and widening gap in battle force sizes between China and the United States,” the War Zone wrote.

The slide shows that this widening gap is largely the result of China’s shipyards, which are estimated to be capable of producing 23,250,000 vessel tons. This is an astonishing 232 times greater than the U.S.’s estimated 100,000 ton capacity.

China’s Navy is already the world’s largest by number of ships. And although many of its current vessels are comparatively primitive, the nation is waging an aggressive campaign to modernize its fleets. Furthermore, a complete tallying of China’s total naval capacity would factor in at least some ships from its massive civilian fleets and from its Coast Guard, which is also the world’s largest.

“[E]very asset in the maritime sector is considered a potential military asset,” a recent report by the Belgian Royal Higher Institute for Defense noted. “Each Chinese ship is a ship of war.”

Prophesied besiegement: Isaiah 23 warns of a massive trade bloc that will form in our lifetimes called a “mart of nations,” with the lead powers being China and Europe. In his book Isaiah’s End-Time Vision, Trumpet editor in chief Gerald Flurry says this bloc will channel its immense power against the United States. “The Bible contains many prophecies of that European power attacking America—and many other prophecies of America being besieged,” he writes. “China and the giants of Asia” will join briefly with the European bloc, Mr. Flurry explains. “All of them are going to besiege America, Britain and the Jewish nation.”

Learn more: Read Isaiah’s End-Time Vision.