U.S., allies work to counter China in the sea

The United States maintains an advantage over China in terms of both the number and capabilities of its nuclear submarines.

The U.S. military has 68 nuclear submarines, including 14 SSBNs and 50 SSNs, according to a document compiled by the Congressional Budget Office in April last year. China still trails far behind, with 15 nuclear submarines in 2021, the U.S. Congressional Research Service said.

But the United States has become increasingly wary of China's rapid construction of a new type of nuclear submarine. U.S. submarines are deployed all over the world. If China increases the number of its nuclear subs, Beijing could gain numerical superiority in the Indo-Pacific.