Independent U.S. Sen. Angus King says the U.S. must respond to reports indicating that China is building up its military capabilities and now has more ships, planes and troops than the United States.
King, who serves on the Senate Armed Services Committee, says the significant expansion of China’s military poses great risks of conflict between the United States and China. He says he is particularly concerned about China’s development of a hypersonic missile.
“That travels at 7,000 mph, they are maneuverable and therefore are practically impossible to counter, at least with today’s technology,” he says.
King says he is also very worried about the possibility of an accidental war.
“A Chinese pilot buzzing a U.S. destroyer in the South China Sea and miscalculating and plowing into the ship, and then there is retaliation,” he says.
King says the Armed Services Committee has been monitoring the Chinese buildup. He says the U.S. needs to develop defenses against Chinese weapons and work diplomatically to build a coalition of countries to counter its military expansion.
