Carlos Del Toro points out that there is a big difference in the fleets of the two countries. But that’s not all: China builds a lot more because it has more and better shipyards in addition to more workers
The Chinese Navy has made significant advances over that of the United States, including a larger fleet and greater shipbuilding capacity. That says the person responsible for the US sector, the Secretary of the Navy.
Speaking to the National Press Club in Washington DC, Carlos Del Toro said that China “continually seeks to violate the maritime sovereignty and economic wellbeing of other nations, including allies [dos Estados Unidos] in the South China Sea”.
Words that come at a time when the ruler himself sees China’s intention to have even more power in the seas, one of the branches of the armed forces in which it has recently invested.
“Now they have a large fleet and are using it all over the world,” he said, calling for an upgrade of the US fleet in response to Beijing’s improvements. “We need a bigger Navy, we need more ships in the future, more modern ships, especially those that can respond to this threat,” added Carlos Del Toro.
Carlos Del Toro recognized fears about the disparity between the two naval forces and said that in the coming years (the target is 2025), China can put up to 400 ships at sea, 60 more than the current 340. On the other hand, recalled he was the Secretary of the Navy, the United States stagnated with a fleet of 300 ships.
In addition, and judging by the United States Navy’s navigation plan released in 2022, the country should remain well behind China as the goal is to have 350 ships by 2045, little more than China currently has.
By then, according to recent reports from the Congressional Budget Committee, the US fleet should indeed be reduced, in large part because there are old ships that are being retired.
problems on land too
The US government’s concerns aren’t just at sea. Carlos Del Toro looks inside and sees another problem: shipyards.
The Navy Secretary stressed that the US shipyards are far from matching the capacity of the Chinese. “They have 13 shipyards and in some cases their shipyards have more capacity. One shipyard has more capacity than all of our shipyards combined. It’s a real threat,” he said.
Without giving specific figures, the latest data, cited by CNN, shows that China has six large shipyards and two smaller shipyards.
There are seven major shipyards in the United States that produce for both the Navy and the Coast Guard.
If there is a lack of shipyards, there will also be a lack of people who work there. Carlos Del Toro sees the workforce at a numerical disadvantage compared to China, which the official attributes to restrictions, regulations and economic pressures in the United States, where one of the biggest problems in the region is finding qualified workers.
“If we have unemployment below 4%, it becomes really difficult to find workers for a restaurant or a shipyard,” he explained, noting that China, as a “communist country, has no rules to follow.”
“They use slave labor to build their ships. It’s not how we’re supposed to do business, but it’s what we’re up against and it’s a significant advantage. [para a China]’ he continued.