Hong Kong, March 11 -- On 5 March, at this year's 14th National People's Congress, China announced its defense budget for 2025. The latest figure rises 7.2% year on year. Interestingly, Beijing maintained the growth rate of its military expenditure at precisely the same percentage as last year, and the year before, as Chairman Xi Jinping prioritizes development of the People's Liberation Army (PLA).

According to figures released on the opening day of the Third Annual Session, a formal gathering of China's legislature, the 2025 defense budget will rise to CNY1.784665 trillion, which equates to USD249 billion. China firmly remains the

world's second-largest spender on its military, trailing only the USA.

John Culver, a former US national...