China Added 71 Warships and Submarines to Its Naval Arsenal Since 2020

China is carrying out one of modern history’s largest naval expansions outside wartime, using its shipbuilding industry to assemble a fleet that increasingly challenges American power at sea.

Its navy now fields more than 400 warships and submarines, according to official U.S. figures reviewed by The Wall Street Journal.

That puts it roughly 35% ahead of the U.S. Navy in vessel numbers, although the American fleet remains larger by tonnage.

The expansion involves increasingly capable ships operating farther from China’s coastline.

U.S. data cited by the Journal shows Beijing has added 71 major warships and submarines since 2020.

“They’re building a world-class navy,” said Thomas Shugart, a former U.S. Navy submariner and adjunct senior fellow at the Center for a New American Security.

Shipyards Drive Expansion

China’s industrial advantage extends well beyond military construction.

Its yards produce more than half the merchant ships built worldwide each year, giving naval programs access to an extensive commercial manufacturing base.

Two neighboring yards on Changxing Island, near Shanghai, illustrate that overlap.

They build gas carriers and container ships for international customers alongside advanced vessels for China’s navy.

Satellite imagery from May analyzed for the report showed two amphibious vessels, two cruisers, three destroyers and two frigates undergoing construction or maintenance there simultaneously, alongside smaller naval ships.

The island’s expanding facilities also produced the 40,000-ton Sichuan amphibious ship, designed to operate drones.

A newly identified submarine at Jiangnan shipyard is thought to have nuclear propulsion, although that assessment remains unconfirmed.

American naval leaders say Chinese yard expansion has substantially increased submarine production capacity as Beijing places greater emphasis on nuclear-powered boats.

Carrier Fleet Grows

China operates three aircraft carriers and is building a fourth that Western specialists believe will be nuclear-powered.

A Pentagon report cited by the Journal projected that Beijing could have nine carriers by 2035. The U.S. fleet is expected to remain at 11 over that period.

China’s newest carrier, Fujian, uses electromagnetic aircraft-launching equipment. The U.S. was previously the only country operating carriers equipped with that technology.

American forces retain the lead in carrier operations. But Chinese deployments have become more ambitious: in June 2025, two Chinese carrier groups conducted opposing-force exercises beyond Japan, their first simultaneous deployment into the wider western Pacific.

The buildup reflects Xi Jinping’s push to combine commercial shipping, overseas port access and naval strength.

Former U.S. naval intelligence chief Michael Studeman said Xi sees global maritime power as essential to national influence.

Pressure on U.S. Forces

Beijing’s immediate military focus remains the waters around Taiwan and the East and South China Seas.

Its forces train for operations that could include blockading Taiwan or preventing American intervention in a conflict.

Coast guard vessels, fishing boats operating as a maritime militia, and survey ships reinforce the navy’s presence in contested areas, increasing the monitoring burden on the U.S. and its partners.

The U.S. faces industrial constraints as it responds. Its navy has approximately 290 ships, while domestic construction of oceangoing commercial vessels remains limited.

A Navy Department report said shipbuilding spending had doubled over two decades without increasing the fleet beyond its 2003 size.

A State Department spokesman said China was using maritime capabilities to support territorial claims and pressure neighboring countries.

The White House said the Trump administration was rebuilding shipbuilding capacity through workforce training and regulatory changes.