China is increasing its 2026 defense budget by 7%, bringing the nation’s military expenditure for the coming year to 1.91 trillion yuan, or about $277 billion. This year’s increase compares to 7.2% rises for the past three years, with Beijing claiming its defense spending “remains comparatively modest across key relative indicators, including its share of gross domestic product, per capita defense expenditure, and defense expenditure per military personnel.” The budget was announced on March 5, as China’s top leaders convened for the 14th National People’s Congress in Beijing. After once splurging on double-digit percentage growth for many years, China has now reported single-digit increases for the past 11 years as economic realities bit.

Full report : China amps up its 2026 defense budget by 7% amid purge of generals.