Hunter: China’s Military Industrial Base Outpacing U.S.

Oct 3, 2007
Press Release

Contact: Josh Holly, 202.226.3988 

Hunter: China’s Military Industrial Base Outpacing U.S. 

Washington, D.C. --- Congressman Duncan Hunter, the ranking Republican on the House Armed Services Committee, warned today that Communist China is moving ahead of the United States in industrial capability that is directly related to national security. 

“China’s ability to build large quantities of ships, submarines, fighter aircraft and missiles is rapidly outstripping America’s capability,” said Hunter.  Presently China produces 3 submarines a year while the U.S. produces one. 

“The domestic shipbuilding base of China is turning out approximately 5,000 commercial ships,” Hunter continued.  “If China’s leaders turn this huge shipbuilding machine to the production of warships, the U.S., which produces approximately 300 ships per year at 24 yards, will be quickly left behind.” 

China is also producing the F-10 multi-role fighter at the rate of 35 to 45 per year.  Additionally, they are producing the SU-27 fighter with the Russians.  The U.S. is limited to the production of 42 F-18 E/F’s and 20 F-22 aircraft.

“Approximately 100 short range ballistic missiles are coming off China’s production lines each year and the new DF-31 road mobile long range ballistic missile is moving into the deployment phase,” continued Hunter.  Balanced against this production is a dormant U.S. missile line which is producing only 12 per year.

“Undergirding the merging military production base of China is a massive steel industry,” said Hunter.  “It’s on pace to produce 480 million tons of steel this year compared to 99 million tons in the U.S.”

“Several years ago when our troops started getting hurt with roadside bombs in Iraq, our Armed Services teams could find only one steel company left in American that could still make high grade armor steel plate,” continued Hunter.

“The U.S. must examine our present tax and tariff policies vis a vis China,” continued Hunter.  “We are allowing them to cheat at trade by massively devaluing their currency.  This creates an environment which compels American producers to move to China or lose in an unfair competition.”

“China is clearly arming,” the ranking Republican on the Armed Services Committee concluded.  “The danger is that by sending our industrial base to China, we are handing them the capability to surge into a military posture that could bypass the U.S. in critical areas.  Now is the time to restructure U.S. tax and trade policies to rebuild the U.S. manufacturing base.” 

“Our production base has been the Arsenal of Democracy,” he concluded.  “We must retain it.”

 

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