We can't and they can. We have less anti-sub capacity today than we did ten years ago. We now have the smallest Navy ship wise since The Great Depression. The only 100% sure fire verification of a submarine is having a visual sighting. Other than that? Pray for a lucky and accurate ping. We have advanced technology but no where near what you were told.
China is an economic threat. Not a military threat - for now. They don’t want our territory. They want to employ their masses to keep them from revolting.
We are playing into their hands by monetizing debt. Now they have leverage over us as we dilute their investments. Now we must fully finance our statism or be fully subservient to the Chinese and other foreign investors.
China doesn’t want our land. They want our support in employing their billions of citizens as they move to the east coast.
The unions in our country pay dues to bosses that don’t care about more jobs. They only care about the dues. And poor productivity. And wages that eliminate jobs. And rules that make it impossible to correct employees. Etc Etc.