China is currently making military upgrades and their new weapons are possibly a threat to the United States since the buildup includes ballistic missile submarines, fifth-generation planes,  and hypersonic missile prototypes.

According to critics, these weapons are a threat to the U.S., especially the anti-ship cruise missiles (ASCM) that China have already produced. According to Lyle Goldstein, a professor in the China Maritime Studies Institute, the Chinese military's massive upgrades will reflect the country's ability to carry out aerial strikes against their targets.

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"The first [cruise missile] is the Mach 3 YJ-12. This supersonic ASCM is capable of ranges up to 300 km. The second is a sub-sonic ASCM with a range of up to 800 km that is designated as YJ-100," Goldstein explained. "Such capabilities imply that, as least for the near future, U.S. forces may be 'outgunned' by China's emerging ASCM inventory."

The ASCMs would be tested continually and according to Chinese military sources, they will be using a combination of speed and increased range in order to project the missiles' powers using the South China Sea and the distance towards Japan for scale.

The ASCMs would also allow China to build aerial maritime strike forces that would control the areas surrounding China that they consider as their territories. 

Territorial disputes are seen as the main reason for China's military buildup as the advances will give the country the capability to take an aggressive stance to gain territory.

TagsU.S., Military upgrade, hypersonic missile