China Achieves Military Parity with US

China Poses Peer Military Threat to U.S. Lieutenant General Stephen Sklenka, Deputy Commandant for Installations and Logistics of the U.S. Marine Corps, stated at the 2026 Modern Day Marine Expo in Washington, D.C., that China is a military peer to the United States, not merely a near-peer competitor. This assessment indicates a significant shift in the perceived balance of power, with China rivaling the U.S. across various measures of national influence.

Sklenka emphasized that China's capabilities, particularly its industrial base and military modernization trajectory, surpass those of other adversaries. He highlighted China's shipbuilding capacity, which is reportedly 230 times that of the United States, and its rapid expansion in nuclear-powered submarine construction, ballistic, and cruise missile arsenals.

China's nuclear stockpile is also noted as the fastest growing globally, alongside its pursuit of advanced warfare tactics, including artificial intelligence and drone swarms.

The general contrasted a potential conflict with China against ongoing operations with Iran, noting that while Iran, a mid-tier power, has demonstrated the ability to challenge a superior force, China's economic might and industrial capacity present a far greater challenge. He underscored that China's manufacturing base has out-produced the U.S.

over the past 10 to 15 years, indicating a sustained effort by China to achieve global leadership and potentially upend the existing international structure.