The Associated Press reports that China has launched the first ship in a new class of stealth missile frigates.  Specifically, the People's Liberation Army Navy is "building a total of 20 Type 056 Jiangdao class frigates to replace older models and bolster its ability to conduct patrols and escort ships and submarines in waters it claims in the South China and East China seas."

It's likely that the Pentagon isn't jumping for joy when it sees the Chinese military continuing to ramp up its military.  But the real irony is that U.S. money has helped to fund this naval expansion.
America's huge trade deficit with China—worth a few hundred billion dollars annually, and $315 billion in 2012 alone—effectively bankrolls Beijing's activities.  So whether it's an expanding military, state-of-the-art high-speed rail, or cyber hacking, America's consumer spending is helping to build it.

What makes the most sense is to begin to enforce U.S. trade laws, both to create a level playing field for U.S. exporters and to help reduce the trade debt that pays for China's expanded army and navy.
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