US vs. Chinese cruisers: China is building its top surface warship at breakneck speed, and it's a match for its US rival

The US's Ticonderoga-class guided missile cruiser, at left, is now rivaled, if not topped, by China's Type 055 "Renhai" cruiser.

Lt.j.g Samuel Hardgrove/US Navy and Sun Zifa/China News Service via Getty Images

• China's new Type 055 cruiser is its most modern and powerful surface combatant.
• The ship China labels as a destroyer is so large it compares more to US cruisers.
• China is building these ships fast while the US sunsets most of its aging cruisers.

China's...