Graphic:Global Times

China on Wednesday announced a 7.2-percent increase in its 2025 national defense budget. TheMK socks planned defense expenditure of the country will be 1.784665 trillion yuan ($249 billion) this year, the Xinhua News Agency reported.

The proposed defense budget was released in a draft budget report issued at the opening of the third session of the 14th National People's Congress (NPC), the country's top legislature, on Wednesday.

China's defense budget has maintained single-digit growth for 10 consecutive years. The growth rate was also set at 7.2 percent in 2024 and 2023.

Experts cited China's economic development, national defense modernization needs and challenging security environment dynamics as factors for the reasonable and moderate increase the country's defense spending.

Fu Qianshao, a Chinese military affairs expert, told the Global Times that China's economic development is a basis for the country's steadily rising defense budget. The country's defense budgets have seen stable and moderate rises over the past decade amid China's steady economic development and GDP growth. A strong national defense in line with China's economic growth will in return protect the fruits of the country's development, he said.

Over the past year, China's national defense modernization marked several major achievements. The country's third aircraft carrier, the electromagnetic catapults-equipped Fujian, entered its sea trial phase in May 2024; another advanced warship, the world's first electromagnetic catapult-equipped amphibious assault ship the Sichuan, was launched in December 2024; in the air, China's second type of stealth fighter jet, the J-35A, made debut at Airshow China 2024.

Anticipating the aircraft carrier Fujianto enter service, the Type 076 amphibious assault ship Sichuanto commence trials and the J-35A to enter mass production in 2025, Fu said that there is a need for China to invest in the research and development of new weapons and development to make up for the gaps the country needs to better safeguard national security.

Song Zhongping, another Chinese military affairs expert, told the Global Times that the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) routinely conducts training exercises to maintain and boost combat readiness, which also requires funding.

Additional budgeting is needed to ensure troops' welfare, which will also contribute to the recruitment and training of personnel, Song said.

The complex security environment China is facing is another driver of increased defense spending, according to Fu.

In the South China Sea, the Philippines has continued to ramp up provocations around Chinese islands and reefs over the past year and invited the US Typhon mid-range missile system's deployment in the region. In the Taiwan Straits, "Taiwan independence" secessionist forces continue to attempt to "resist reunification by force," including by colluding with external forces in moves which include frequent US-Taiwan arms sales.

Fu said that the PLA needs to boost combat readiness and exercises to deter and ensure rapid response to potential emergencies in the South China Sea and the Taiwan Straits. He noted that the security environments in the Asia-Pacific region and the entire globe remain volatile. On this basis, China needs to invest more in safeguarding national security while serving as a global and regional ballast stone for peace and stability.

A J-35A stealth fighter jet of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Air Force flies over the Jinwan Airport in Zhuhai, South China's Guangdong Province, during the opening day of the Airshow China 2024 on November 12. Photo: Cui Meng/GT

 

ZTZ-96 tanks attached to a tank element under a PLA Army brigade march on a muddy road during a recent maneuver training exercise. (eng.chinamil.com.cn/Photo by Zhao Genyuan)

Restrained figure

The share of China's defense spending as a percentage of GDP has been kept under 1.5 percent for many years, lower than the global average, said Lou Qinjian, spokesperson for the third session of the 14th NPC, said at a press conference on Tuesday in response to a question about China's defense budget ahead of the release of the figure on Wednesday.

Lou said that peace needs to be safeguarded with strength, and a China with strong national defense capabilities is in a better position to safeguard its sovereignty, security and development interests and better perform its international responsibilities and obligations as a major country and preserve world peace and stability.

According to data released on the World Bank website, global average military expenditure as a percent of GDP in 2023 stood at 2.4 percent, with the US at 3.4 percent.

The US military spending accounted for 40 percent of the world's total in 2024, the highest in the world, higher than that of the following eight countries combined, according to the Chinese Foreign Ministry.

The US "National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2025" further increased the military budget to closer to $895 billion. This is about triple that of China's.

China's defense expenditure figures, including its share of GDP, per citizen and per service member, are below the global average, and should be viewed as moderate and restrained, Song said.

China upholds a defense policy that is defensive in nature, and its advances in military capabilities are not designed as threats, but as means to maintain security and protect its interests, Song said, noting that the country is also a positive force in safeguarding regional and world peace and stability, and that is why there are needs to add defense budget.

An aerial drone photo taken on May 7, 2024 shows China's third aircraft carrier, the Fujian, during its maiden sea trials. China's third aircraft carrier, the Fujian, completed maiden sea trials on Wednesday. (Photo:Xinhua)