China Boosts Defense Spending by 7%, Slowest Pace Since 2022
A general view of the Chinese guided-missile destroyer Tangshan in Jan. 6.
Photographer: Rodger Bosch/AFP/Getty Images
China’s defense spending will grow by 7% this year — the slowest pace since 2022 — a figure that comes as officials from Washington to Berlin to Tokyo boost their own outlays.
Military outlay by the central government is expected to climb to 1.91 trillion yuan ($277 billion), according to a report released by the Finance Ministry in Beijing on Thursday. China has raised the figure by about 7.2% each year since 2023.