Ep. 183 - China, Naval Power, and America’s Shipbuilding Crisis w/Brent Sadler

Naval power has shaped global dominance for centuries — and today, it may determine the outcome of America’s strategic competition with China.

On this episode of the Federal Newswire Lunch Hour Podcast, host Andrew Langer sits down with Brent Sadler, Senior Research Fellow for Naval Warfare and Advanced Technology at The Heritage Foundation, to examine how maritime strategy, industrial capacity, and global trade are converging into one of the most critical national security challenges facing the United States.

Sadler explains why control of the seas is about far more than military force — it is about controlling supply chains, trade routes, and the flow of global commerce. Drawing from both history and modern strategy, he outlines how China has spent decades building a dominant maritime industrial base, including shipbuilding, port ownership, and logistics networks designed to influence — and potentially control — global trade.

A major focus of the conversation is America’s declining shipbuilding capacity and why current policy frameworks, including the Jones Act, have not been sufficient to reverse that trend. Sadler argues that the real issue is not a single law, but a lack of coordinated national strategy, incentives, and long-term industrial focus.

The discussion also explores:
• Why naval power is central to both economic and military dominance
• How China built the world’s largest shipbuilding industry
• The strategic importance of ports and global shipping lanes
• Why supply chains — not just weapons — define modern conflict
• The limitations of the Jones Act and what it gets right (and wrong)
• The need for a comprehensive U.S. maritime industrial strategy
• How government policy, financing, and regulation shape shipbuilding outcomes
• The role of tariffs, trade policy, and industrial incentives
• Lessons from the Cold War — and where the U.S. miscalculated with China
• Why the U.S. is now in a “new Cold War” with fundamentally different dynamics

The conversation also shifts to current global conflicts, including the evolving situation with Iran, and how U.S. military and economic actions there tie into a broader strategy for countering China’s global ambitions.

Sadler emphasizes that understanding both America’s vulnerabilities and China’s long-term strategy is essential if the U.S. hopes to rebuild its industrial base, strengthen deterrence, and maintain its position in the global order.

00:00 — Intro + Brent Sadler joins the podcast
01:17 — Background: Naval Academy, Navy career, China policy
02:25 — Why naval power still matters today
03:04 — Historical lessons: sea power and trade control
05:10 — Force projection vs control of global commerce
06:10 — China’s global port strategy explained
07:13 — The “Third Taiwan Crisis” and China’s wake-up call
08:12 — How China built a dominant shipbuilding industry
09:42 — Industrial policy, ports, and supply chain control
10:42 — Could China disrupt global trade flows?
12:16 — The Jones Act explained
13:02 — Why U.S. shipbuilding is still declining
14:44 — What’s missing: incentives, leadership, and strategy
16:00 — “Revolution in Shipping” and policy solutions
18:18 — Bipartisan momentum and the Ships for America Act
19:42 — Trump-era maritime push and executive action
21:00 — Industrial policy vs free market concerns
22:30 — Where the U.S. misread China
24:40 — Economic interdependence and strategic vulnerability
26:00 — COVID, supply chains, and wake-up calls
29:10 — Iran conflict and global strategy implications
31:41 — Military objectives and regime pressure in Iran
33:40 — Why conflicts must be viewed through China strategy
35:16 — Understanding adversaries vs projecting U.S. values
37:51 — Sadler’s background: Guam, Japan, and China
41:04 — Personal experiences shaping his worldview
43:01 — Life outside p

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