China Plans Major Defense Budget Increase

China plans to significantly increase its defense spending again, proposing a 7 percent rise in military expenditure to about 1.9 trillion yuan ($275 billion), according to a budget proposal presented Thursday at the opening of the National People's Congress.

The proposed increase follows last year’s 7.2 percent rise in China’s defense budget.

China already holds the world’s second-largest military budget after the United States. Since taking office in 2013, President Xi Jinping has pushed for sweeping modernization of the country’s armed forces, aiming to build what he has described as a “world-class military” by 2049.

The planned spending boost comes amid ongoing regional tensions, particularly surrounding Taiwan. The island has been governed democratically for decades but is claimed by Beijing as part of its territory.

Xi has repeatedly said that reunification with Taiwan cannot be postponed indefinitely and has not ruled out the use of force.

China has recently increased military pressure on Taiwan through large-scale naval and air exercises, raising concerns about stability in the Taiwan Strait and broader regional security in Asia.