U.S. Secretary of Defense Mark Esper said on Tuesday the Pentagon wants more than 500 navy ships in its fleet by 2045 for countering China, according to The Hill.

"Battle Force 2045 calls for a more balanced Navy of over 500 manned and unmanned ships," The Hill quoted Esper as saying during a speech in Washington, D.C. He mentioned a Future Naval Force Study led by Deputy Defense Secretary David Norquist who is reportedly planning the future U.S. naval fleet. The report was delivered to Esper recently.

"Further, we will reach 355 traditional battle force ships prior to 2035," Esper reportedly said at the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments, a non-partisan think tank that specializes in U.S. defense policy.

According to The Hill, the new ships will include eight to 11 nuclear aircraft carriers and up to six light carriers, together with 70-80 attack submarines.

Esper said more ships were needed to counter China's goal of modernizing its armed forces by 2035. "At that time, Beijing wants to achieve parity with the United States Navy, if not exceed our capabilities in certain areas and to offset our overmatch in several others," he was quoted as saying.

The U.S. Congress will soon receive from the Pentagon the study and the 30-year shipbuilding plan, which will include more details about the buildup of the fleet, he said.

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Graphics: China's military reform in past 5 years

All you need to know about China's national defense white paper

According to a white paper titled "China's National Defense in the New Era" released by Beijing last year, China aims to "comprehensively advance the modernization of military theory, organizational structure, military personnel, and weaponry and equipment in step with the modernization of the country and basically complete the modernization of national defense and the military by 2035." 

The country will strive to "fully transform the people's armed forces into world-class forces by the mid-21st century." 

China has also repeatedly stressed that its pursuit of the national defense policy is defensive in nature and that its armed forces will always be a force of justice for world peace and development.  

Beijing has criticized Washington for defaming China's national defense and military modernization and refuted the so-called China Threat Theory. 

Chinese leaders have reiterated the country's commitment to the path of peaceful development while vowing to safeguard its sovereignty, security, development interests.

(Cover: The Pentagon, U.S., July 11, 2018. /Xinhua)