A look at China’s narrowing military gap with the US

Comparative measures of the U.S. and Chinese militaries:

Active-duty troops:

United States: 1.3 million

China: 2 million

Defense budget:

United States: $685 billion

China: $170 billion

Strategic nuclear weapons(asterisk):

United States: 3,800

China: 280

Ships:

United States: 289

China: approximately 300

(asterisk)Nuclear weapons numbers are classified; figures are estimates by the Federation of American Scientists