China , is set to increase its defence spending by about 7.2 % in 2025, matching next year’s growth and reflecting President Xi Jinping’s passion to create a defense that can issue the , U. S.
The investment will increase to about 1.78 trillion rmb ($ 245 billion ) this month, according to a , Finance Ministry , statement released Wednesday at an annual legislative gathering in , Beijing.
China’s increase in security spending contrasts with the Trump administration’s plans to cut defense revenue by 8 % over the next five years as part of a broader effort to reduce the federal budget and staff. The , U. S.  , spends more on its defense than any other nation, with , China , a distant second.
Earlier this year, former , U. S.  , Defense Secretary , Lloyd Austin , proposed a five-year plan starting with a$ 926.5 billion defense budget for fiscal 2026, increasing to over$ 1 trillion in fiscal 2028.
In contrast, China’s investment on the Folks ‘s , Liberation Army , has risen by at least 6.6 % annually for the past three years, though the actual number is probably much higher than the standard range. Last year, the Pentagon estimated that China’s total spending was around$ 330 billion to$ 450 billion — 1.5 to two times the publicly reported amount.
Despite the revenue space with the , U. S., Xi has set a 2027 deadline to create a modern defense, with the goal of making China’s military troops among the world’s best by 2049. As part of that energy, the , U. S.  , has said , Beijing , is fast building out its army of atomic weaponry, targeting to have at least 1, 000 weapons by 2030, away from 500. The , U. S.  , has about 3, 750.
On Wednesday, Chinese Premier , Li Qiang , vowed “all-out work” to join the 2027 aim, which coincides with the PLA’s 100th celebration.
” We will step up military training and combat readiness so as to firmly safeguard China’s independence, stability and growth interests”, Li said as he delivered the annual state labor record in , Beijing.
China’s rising military assertiveness has seen the PLA hold military exercises off , Australia,  , Vietnam , and , Taiwan, while its growing projection of power has attracted criticism from , the Philippines,  , Japan,  , South Korea , and , India.
The PLA is especially focused on , Taiwan, a self-governing democracy of 23 million people, located about 100 miles off China’s coast.  , Beijing , wants to bring , Taiwan , under its control, by force if necessary. The Chinese military — which has more troops and naval vessels than any other nation — has carried out at least three rounds of major maneuvers near the , U. S. backed island since , President Lai Ching-te took office in May last year.
China’s military ambitions face challenges from endemic corruption. A sweeping graft purge has ensnared at least 30 senior officials since mid-2023, including two that sat on the body leading the armed forces, the , Central Military Commission.
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