China continues to actively increase its military expenses. In 2025, the country's defense budget will increase by 7.2%, reaching the official $ 245 billion. However, experts point out that this figure can be significantly reduced, because in the conditions of opaque financial system of PRC, real costs can reach from $ 330 to $ 450 billion.
In terms of defense costs, China ranks second in the world after the United States, and its ambitions are becoming more noticeable. Beijing actively expands the offensive potential of its armed forces, which is concerned about neighbors and stimulates the arms race in the Indo-Pacific. In 2023, global military expenses increased to a record 6.8%, reaching $ 2.44 trillion. Although the share of Asia in these costs has decreased due to wars in Europe and the Middle East, China and North Korea can change this trend in the coming years. The US Department of Defense estimated that the PRC was spent 40-90% more than the officially stated. Despite the statements of the Chinese government about the "defense nature" of the budget, the latest developments in the military sphere speak of the opposite: the construction of an atomic aircraft carrier, which in its characteristics can compete with the American. Development of a new stealth bomber. Testing of two new steals flowers. China's military capacity increases its neighbors also to increase defense costs. Even if the share of military expenditures in the GDP of the PRC remains small, its absolute volume becomes more and more threatening to global security.
When China conducts training that forces to change civil aviation routes and demonstrates military force near Taiwan, neighboring countries cannot ignore this challenge. The answer to the growing militarization of Beijing can only be strengthening the defensive capabilities of the countries of the region.
