THERE has been predictable huge hue and cry after the announcement of the Chinese defence budget 2025 and the western media, hawkish politicians and insane policy makers started false and fake propaganda about it, dubbing it threat for regional as well as international peace and stability which is untrue and a political hype and media smouldering against China and its peaceful persuasions.
Despite increasing geopolitical anti-China partnerships and geostrategic compulsions the Chinese government has maintained single-digit growth for 10 consecutive years showing its strong commitment towards conflict resolution through dialogue, diplomacy and development.
The growth rate was also set at 7.2 percent in 2024 and 2023.
Obviously, China’s immense economic development, national defence modernization needs and challenging security environment dynamics as factors for the reasonable and moderate increase of the country’s defence spending.
Thus the western misperception is bogus and speculative.
Comparative study reveals that China’s national defence modernization marked several major achievements mainly the operationalization of the aircraft carrier Fujian and commencement of the Type 076 amphibious assault ship Sichuan and the channelization of the J-35A into mass production in 2025 clearly demonstrate modernization of the Chinese armed forces for maintaining a strategic balance in the region and beyond.
Furthermore, peaceful routine training drills of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) maintaining and boosting combat readiness, which also requires substantial funding.
Evidently, more funds are needed to ensure troops’ welfare, which will also contribute to the recruitment and training of personnel.
The complex security environment China is facing is another driver of increased defence spending, It is pertinent to mention that in the South China Sea, the Philippines constantly sponsored provocations around Chinese islands and reefs over the past year and invited the US Typhon mid-range missile system’s deployment in the region require some matching response from China.
On the other hand, in the Taiwan Straits, Taiwan independence secessionist forces continue to attempt to block reunification by force including by colluding with external forces in moves which include frequent US-Taiwan arms sales.
Therefore, it needs necessary adjustments in its defence budget 2025.
Interestingly, the share of China’s defence spending as a percentage of GDP has been kept under 1.5 percent for many years, lower than the global average whereas, the World Bank global average military expenditure as a percent of GDP in 2023 remained at 2.4 percent, with the US at 3.4 percent.
Surprisingly, 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.
Additionally, the US National Defence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2025 further increased the military budget to closer to US$895 billion which is about triple that of China’s.
Wu Qian, spokesperson for China’s Ministry of National Defence, recently rightly stated that the USA should be the first to cut its nuclear arsenal and military expenditure and put into practice ‘America First’ in this regard.
Unfortunately, China’s military spending has long been a focal point of Western scrutiny, with the so-called China threat narrative being augmented almost every year.
Moreover, the USA has also pushed all NATO members to increase their defence spending to 5 percent of their GDP giving dangerous signals to world’s peace.
Realistically, China upholds a national defence policy that is defensive in nature, with its military spending mainly focusing on protecting its sovereignty, security and development interests.
China’s development strengthens the world’s forces for peace and the country will never seek hegemony or engage in expansionism no matter what stage of development it reaches.
As China continues to play an increasingly important role on the global stage, its military has taken on greater responsibility in providing the international community with more public security goods.
Over the years, Chinese military personnel have frequently joined in international humanitarian aid and disaster relief efforts, contributing significantly to global stability.
In summary, the western hype about the so-called high Chinese defence budget is only eyewash to camouflage their own high military budgets and nuclear arsenals.
China’s defence budget has solid justifications countering the increasing regional as well global threats to its economy, industry, sovereignty, state and territorial integrity requiring minimum military expenditures.
Despite western hoopla China has sent over 50,000 peacekeepers to more than 20 countries and regions worldwide over the past 30 years, contributing the largest number of peacekeepers among the five permanent members of the UN Security Council showing its peaceful intentions which are negating the western hegemonic designs.
It seems that the US Asia Pacific policy, formation of QUAD, AUKUS and building of military bases in the region and moreover, unnecessary deployment of ballistic missiles pushing China to take all necessary measures to defend its vested interests.
Undoubtedly, China’s development strengthens the world’s forces for peace and hopefully it will never seek hegemony or engage in expansionism.
China’s defence spending has maintained reasonable and steady growth over the past years.
It seems that military expenditure will primarily be used improving military training under combat conditions and deepening national defence and military reform.
Compared to major military powers like the United States, China’s defence spending remains relatively low in terms of its share of GDP, national fiscal expenditures, per capita defence spending and expenditure per service member.
Last but not least, China is facing one of the most complex peripheral security environments in the world which needs a sound and modern armed force safeguarding its state, sovereignty and the society thus the western whoopla does not have any reliability and relevance.
—The writer is President, Pak-China Corridor of Knowledge, Executive Director, CSAIS, regional expert: China, CPEC & BRI. (mehmoodulhassankhan@yahoo.com)
