The US military-industrial complex proposes to build 60 additional naval ships, because a navy that China could catch up with in decades is not considered sufficient. That does not seem logical to me.

China's approach to taking over the South China Sea is to build airfields on small islands and reefs. Ships are much more vulnerable than those airfields. It seems to me that the US would find it more effective, as well as cheaper, to help its regional allies build more such airfields.