U.S.-China Tensions Escalate in Covert Naval Clash, Dragon Claims Victory

Beneath the surface of diplomatic relations, a hidden battle has erupted between the U.S. and China, as tensions boiled over into a covert naval clash on March 20, 2025. In what’s being called a 'ship war,' China’s Dragon has reportedly emerged victorious, signaling a bold challenge to American dominance at sea.

U.S China tensions escalate
Both countries are attacking each other over tariffs. First, Trump announced an additional 10% tariff on China on February 1. Retaliating to this, China imposed a 15% tax on LNG coming from the US and 10% on many other goods. Amidst the tariff war, China has warned that Trump's tariff tactics could prove to be very damaging to the US economy.

What is 'Ship War'
Now China has started another secret war against America. It is being called 'Ship War'. It means rivalry in the construction of ships and warships. Actually, China has now overtaken America in the construction of ships i.e. warships. China's largest state-owned shipyard, China State Shipbuilding Corporation, has built as many commercial ships in terms of tonnage by 2024, as America has not built since the Second World War. That is, China has overtaken America in shipbuilding. In the year 2024, America's share in the global contribution in the construction of commercial ships has now decreased to just 0.11 percent.

China is 9 times ahead of America
A report in the Eurasian Times says that only four public shipyards are functioning in the US, while in China there are about nine times more i.e. 35 shipyards active, which are constantly increasing their production efficiency. The report says that China has implemented such policies for ship production that have proved to be detrimental to the shipbuilding industry of the US and its allied countries. Due to this policy, Japan and South Korea have also suffered huge losses, which once dominated the world market in shipbuilding, but now both these countries are trying to coordinate with China in the shipbuilding sector.

How many more warships does China have than America?
According to a report in 'Foreign Affairs' magazine, till two decades ago, the US Navy had 282 warships as compared to the Chinese Navy's 220 warships, but by the middle of 2010, the US lead disappeared and China moved ahead. The report says that today not only is the Chinese Navy the largest navy, but its fleet has a total of 400 ships including more than 370 warships and submarines, while the US Navy has only 295 warships. However, the US Navy still has an edge in terms of guided missile cruisers and destroyer warships. Along with this, it has 11 aircraft carriers, which makes it the most powerful. Its tonnage is more than that of China.