China to Increase Military Budget by 7.2% in 2025

07 Maret 2025

China demonstrated its capabilities to conduct large-scale amphibious operations during February 2025 Exercise (photo: Chinamil)

TSAMTO -- China will increase its military budget by 7.2% in 2025 to 1.784 trillion yuan (about $245.5 billion at today's exchange rate), according to a draft budget released Wednesday.

“National defense spending will amount to 1,784.665 billion yuan, an increase of 7.2%,” RIA Novosti quotes the document, published on the opening day of the annual session of the National People’s Congress (NPC).

As the agency notes, China has been systematically increasing its defense budget every year, while the country does not participate in wars and adheres to the defensive nature of its military doctrine. In 2023, China increased national defense spending by 7.2% to 1.55 trillion yuan (about $220 billion), in 2024 - by 7.2% (to 1.665 trillion yuan, about $231.24 billion).

Lou Qingjian, spokesperson for the third session of the 14th National People's Congress, said on Tuesday that "China's defense spending has grown for nine consecutive years since 2016, and the defense spending share in GDP has remained within 1.5 percent for many years, lower than the world average."

The third session of the 14th National People's Congress (NPC), the country's top legislative body, opened in Beijing on March 5 and will last until March 11.

(TSAMTO)