Expert explains why Russia does not plan to join naval arms race between US, China

Nikolai Patrushev, Russian presidential aide and chairman of the Russian Maritime Board, claimed that Russia has no intention to get involved in a naval arms race even as he drew attention to the efforts of the US and China to outdo one another in the naval sphere.

The naval arms race between China and the US is particularly focused on maritime dominance in the Indo-Pacific region. In terms of fleet size, the People’s Liberation Army Navy is the largest in the world, while the US is attempting to enhance its naval might to ensure its strategic dominance.

According to the American think tank, Center for Strategic and International Studies, if Beijing continues to expand its fleet at the current pace and the US does not do enough to revitalise its shipbuilding industry, "China will grow increasingly likely to emerge victorious from interstate war, especially a prolonged great power war."

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In any case, the shipbuilding plans and programmes adopted by Beijing are much larger than the American ones, Patrushev, said in an interview with the Kommersant newspaper.

"As for our fleet, the Russian Navy is one of the strongest in the world in terms of its combined power, and our sailors have always shown their moxie to fight with skill, not depending on just sheer numbers," Patrushev said, while explaining why Russia has no intention to get involved in the naval arms race.

Defence