On April 9, the U.S. Navy’s Office of Naval Intelligence released a report on China’s navy that was explaining China’s military expansion in the Western Pacific. It was the first U.S. government report on China’s military build-up that approached the usefulness of the Reagan administration’s famous Soviet Military Power series. This is significant as both the George W. Bush and Obama administrations resisted as too provocative an annual Pentagon report to the Congress on China’s military that cast China as a “Cold War” level challenge.

However, it is becoming clearer that China’s threat could grow into a global challenge to American interests, justifying an annual China Military Power publication to warn U.S. policymakers. China eventually will have a large fleet equipped with carriers, nuclear attack submarines and amphibious ships to project power in defense of ruling Communist Party interests.

China’s first priority remains the conquest of democratic Taiwan, but its growing navy will also be used to enforce its expansive territorial claims in the East and South China Seas. In the latter, China is literally turning seven coral reefs into large island bases, three of which will be equipped with airfields and combat aircraft. When complete, China will be able to exert control over sea-lanes that transport 40 percent of the world’s commerce, and threaten U.S. ally, the Philippines.

In addition, China seeks to control the South China Sea to better defend its growing fleet of nuclear missile submarines. On April 15, Pacific Command Commander Adm. Samuel Locklear revealed new intelligence estimates that China will build up to eight of its new Type 094 nuclear missile submarines. These will carry at least 96 JL-2 missiles that eventually could be armed with multiple warheads. Third-generation Type 096 subs with more powerful JL-3 missiles are expected by the early 2020s.

The Obama administration’s rush to reduce U.S. nuclear capability must be reversed; the United States should not only revitalize its nuclear infrastructure and build up its numbers of nuclear missiles and warheads, it must also rebuild its tactical nuclear forces. Plans to build about 100 new strategic bombers should be doubled. Like China, the United States must quickly develop offensive and defensive military capabilities for space.

We need to re-establish a capability to permanently deploy at least one Carrier Strike Group to the Mediterranean as well as the capability to deploy one to the North Atlantic and Norwegian Sea.