Citing the Office of Naval Intelligence, a Congressional Research Service report from March notes that the People’s Liberation Army Navy, or PLAN, was slated to have 360 battle force ships by the end of 2020, dwarfing the U.S. fleet of 297 ships. When it comes to fleet size, Robert Murrett, professor of practice of public administration and international affairs, says that China’s fleet largely remains in its backyard, while a good number of the U.S. force is underway around the world, making a number-to-number assessment incomplete. There’s also a tendency to view any maritime conflict between the United States and China as a two-party affair, which sidelines the significant role America’s allies in the region would likely play, Murrett says. "We just take for granted the incredible network of allies we have around the world," Murrett says. "The view from Beijing in terms of maritime partners is pretty bleak. They don’t have any that are worth mentioning." Read more in the Military Times article, "China’s navy has more ships than the US. Does that matter?"