Military spending only for defense?

China's official military budget is growing by 6.8 percent. This means that the increase is in line with previous years. In any case, experts assume that the actual expenditure is higher. For example, pensions, construction projects, and the military police are booked in other budgets. Beijing wants to have modern, technologically powerful armed forces by 2027 – and thus also protect its own investments abroad.

Last updated: 24. July 2025