Which navies might build the next very large surface combatants?

Besides China, which nations might build very large 21st-century surface combatants?

Japan is a strong candidate, while Britain and other status-seeking naval powers could also field cruiser-sized ships.

Hypersonic weapons, deep VLS magazines, sensors, communications, and computing can push destroyers toward cruiser size. Most navies may stop around 15,000 to 18,000 tons because larger hulls do not fit their force structures. The biggest examples are more likely to come from states seeking both strategic capability and the visible status of a capital asset. Japan has used explicit cruiser terminology, while a later British government relabeling Type 83 is considered only a remote possibility.