China and the United States consider just one set of statistics.

The United States Navy now numbers some 290 battle for ships

and the Biden administration's 2023 budget

would shrink that number still further.

The Chinese Navy, by 2025, just a couple of years from now,

it is expected to number 400 ships.

Should we be worried?

Strategist Dan Blumenthal and Elbridge Colby to Uncommon Knowledge. I'm Peter Robinson shooting today at the Hoover Institution

offices in Washington, D.C. Director of Asian Studies at the American Enterprise

Institute, Dan Blumenthal earned his undergraduate degree at Washington University, his

masters at Johns Hopkins, and his law degree at Duke. During the administration of

President George W Bush, he served in the Department of Defense.

Dan Blumenthal's most recent book, The China Nightmare,

The Grand Ambitions of a decaying state.

Founder of a new think tank, The Marathon Initiative, State. During the administration of President Donald Trump he served in the Department of Defense.

Elbich Colby's most recent publication, The Strategy of Denial, American Defense in an age of great power conflict.

Dan, Bridge, welcome.

Thank you.

We'll come to strategy in a moment,

but first, could I ask a kind of threshold question?

If China were to have its way, if President Xi Jinping were to attain every one of his aims.

How would life in this country be different?

...