Adm. Daryl Caudle, on a 10-day Asia-Pacific visit, called China’s shipbuilding "impressive" and said he is closely monitoring Beijing’s rapid naval expansion, including the Nov. 7 commissioning of the carrier Fujian and recent sea trials of a new amphibious assault ship. He noted that while China now has more hulls overall, it still fields fewer carriers and key large vessels. Caudle emphasized that U.S. shipbuilding strength depends on close cooperation with allies such as Japan and South Korea and described a U.S.-South Korea nuclear-submarine plan as "very nascent."
Top U.S. Admiral Says He’s Watching China’s Rapid Naval Build-Up Closely
Adm. Daryl Caudle, on a 10-day Asia-Pacific visit, called China’s shipbuilding "impressive" and said he is closely monitoring Beijing’s rapid naval expansion, including the Nov. 7 commissioning of the carrier Fujian and recent sea trials of a new amphibious assault ship. He noted that while China now has more hulls overall, it still fields fewer carriers and key large vessels. Caudle emphasized that U.S. shipbuilding strength depends on close cooperation with allies such as Japan and South Korea and described a U.S.-South Korea nuclear-submarine plan as "very nascent."
02:09 AM, 11/18/2025Security
U.S. Admiral Flags China’s Rapid Naval Expansion
TOKYO — Adm. Daryl Caudle said Monday that China’s shipbuilding capacity is "impressive" as Beijing accelerates construction of what has become the world’s largest navy. Speaking in Tokyo during a 10-day tour of the Asia-Pacific, he stressed that close cooperation with regional partners such as Japan and South Korea is vital to sustaining U.S. shipbuilding strength and regional maritime security.
China on Nov. 7 commissioned its newest aircraft carrier, the Fujian, and about a week earlier began sea trials of an advanced amphibious assault ship. While the People’s Liberation Army Navy now outnumbers the U.S. Navy in total hulls, Adm. Caudle noted it still fields fewer aircraft carriers, amphibious assault ships and several other key classes of vessels.
"How they utilize those aircraft carriers globally is, of course, a concern of mine," Adm. Caudle said in Tokyo. He also described the amphibious assault ship as "a large ship, very capable."
Caudle emphasized the contribution of U.S. allies to collective maritime power: "When you’ve got a lot of friends and allies, we have a pretty large, combined force ourselves," pointing to the capabilities of Japan, South Korea, Australia and other partners across the region.
His visit comes amid heightened tensions after Japan’s new conservative prime minister suggested a Chinese move against Taiwan could prompt a Japanese military response — a remark that has strained ties with Beijing. Earlier the same day, Caudle toured the U.S. Navy base at Yokosuka and a nearby shipyard.
On cooperation, he said, "What we are willing to do with Japan and South Korea is to bolster U.S. shipbuilding." He described a recent U.S.-South Korea plan for a nuclear-powered submarine as "very nascent." Japan has also signaled interest in nuclear-powered submarines, though any move would likely face domestic sensitivities given the country’s history with atomic weapons and its long-standing non-nuclear principles.
Strategic Outlook
Adm. Caudle framed his comments as part of close monitoring rather than escalation: U.S. and allied observers are watching how China deploys and integrates new large vessels into regional operations. The admiral’s message underscores both the rapid pace of Chinese naval modernization and the importance of alliance cooperation to preserve deterrence and stability in the Indo-Pacific.