China's military capabilities have been improving relative to that of the United States, although it still lags behind in terms of overall military hardware and operational skills. The US has a significant advantage in the number of nuclear warheads and strategic weapons, with close to 4,000 and 1,600 respectively. However, China has a larger manpower and artillery compared to the US, but the US leads in most other areas. The comparison of military power in 2023 shows that China has a larger total population, but the US ranks first in terms of manpower and has a larger number of tankers. While China has the largest military in terms of serving members, the US remains the second-largest. The Pentagon has faced criticism for its high military spending.