China has set its national defense expenditure at 1.94 trillion yuan in the 2026 central government budget, marking an increase of 6.9 percent compared with the previous year. The information was announced on Tuesday in Beijing by Zhang Xiaogang, spokesperson for the delegation of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) and the Armed Police Force to the National People’s Congress (NPC).
According to Zhang, the central government’s defense spending accounts for 1.91 trillion yuan of the total budget, representing an increase of about 7 percent compared with last year’s executed budget.
He noted that China determines the scale of its defense expenditure in line with the principle of coordinated development between national defense and economic growth. In recent years, defense spending has gradually increased to safeguard national sovereignty, security, and development interests, while also meeting the needs of advancing military modernization with Chinese characteristics.
The spokesperson added that the additional defense funding this year will primarily be allocated to four key areas. These include strengthening military modernization, improving the system of joint military operations, advancing the development of cutting-edge weapons and technologies, and enhancing the overall capability of the armed forces through more realistic training.
The budget will also support improvements in human resource policies and the cultivation of highly skilled and professional military personnel, further enhancing the operational readiness of China’s armed forces.
Information & Photo: CCTV.