Exactly. Because we can. Now.
Please...cut me a break
China gets a couple of third rate ships and now you have them challenging the greatest Navy in history.
How about we have them build ONE carrier of the quality of our ELEVEN super carriers and we can talk
It is justy another fear tactic the idiots on the right fall into. china could probably pose a threat to the smaller countries in their area. They may have a large military in numbers, but they have a few problems with that. First is the same problem russia had in looking towards an overseas invasion. How the **** do you get your army there in a fast, efficient way. China would have to stage in Canada or south/central america, and good luck doing that without the US finding out. The second problem is China needs it's military police at home. Poor and hungry people tend to revolt if you let up the oppression. Then there is the food issue. How do you supply your army overseas while starving your people to revolt at home? The US is more than capable of burning large portions of their crops. Starving armies and people offer up a whole huge wartime problem for china.
This is before you even put them up against the navy, ground forces, and a well armed civilian populace who would oppose chinese occupation. The worst we have to fear from china is the same thing we had to fear from russia, and that is nuclear, or for the republicans nukular, war.
The leaders and aristocracy of china live well due to their exploitation of their workforce and the money they make through markets like europe and the US. The first thing that goes away if they attack the US is their biggest economic market. Not a great plan for the people who enjoy wealth and power based on the US market.
Of course this won't stop the new Red Dawn starring china as the new enemy from scaring all the dumbasses.