China defends military budget, cites security needs

China's defense expenditure is reasonable and restrained, primarily aimed at addressing security risks, fulfilling international responsibilities, and contributing to global security, a military spokesman said on Sunday.

"The world is far from peaceful. China's territorial reunification remains unresolved. Our nation is one of the countries confronted with complex security situations, while the Chinese military has been facing grave challenges in safeguarding sovereignty and territorial integrity," said Senior Colonel Wu Qian, spokesman for the delegation of the People's Liberation Army and the People's Armed Police Force to the third session of the 14th National People's Congress.

Wu said China's limited defense spending is both a response to these risks and a prerequisite for fulfilling its responsibilities as a global power, enabling the PLA to provide more public security goods to the world and support the building of a community with a shared future for mankind.

He emphasized that China's defense budget adheres to the country's legal frameworks, including the National Defense Law and Budget Law, with annual allocations subject to review and approval by the National People's Congress.

China also participates in the United Nations' military expenditure transparency system, demonstrating full openness regarding the scale, structure, and basic uses of its defense budget, Wu said.

He added that China follows a coordinated approach between national defense and economic development, maintaining what he called "reasonable and stable growth" in military spending to safeguard sovereignty, security, and development interests.

"Compared to major military powers like the United States, China's defense spending remains relatively low in terms of GDP share, fiscal expenditure proportion, per capita allocation, and spending per service member," Wu said.

China's central government has proposed defense spending of 1.78 trillion yuan ($246 billion) for fiscal 2025, a 7.2 percent increase from last year, according to a draft budget report submitted to the national legislature on Wednesday.

If approved by lawmakers, the proposed expenditure will mark the 10th consecutive year of single-digit growth, with the percentage increase identical to those of the previous two fiscal years.

The additional funds will primarily support four key tasks, Wu said: accelerating the development of new-domain combat forces while upgrading traditional capabilities; enhancing early warning and reconnaissance, joint strike operations, battlefield support, and logistics systems; strengthening realistic combat training and modernizing the military education system; and deepening reforms in defense policies and human resources management, as well as improving troops' living and training conditions.