China's rapid naval buildup has allowed it to surpass the U.S. Navy in terms of the number of battle force ships, and it continues to expand at a significant rate. The United States maintains a substantial lead over the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) by tonnage and holds a qualitative edge in several types of platforms, although this quality gap is narrowing. Additionally, the United States collaborates closely with other regional navies, though the effectiveness of these alliances in a crisis remains uncertain.

On July 26, Brookings will host a discussion aimed at evaluating the relative strengths of the world’s two most powerful navies. Reaching a clear but nuanced assessment of China’s naval strength is crucial for U.S. strategy in Asia. Moving beyond the "quality versus quantity" debate, the discussion will focus on areas of relative strength and comparative assessment.

This event is part of the Seas and Strategy series.