Fri February, 2021, Age: 3 years
Chinese and Western security experts expect China to announce steep increases in defense spending at the March 5th opening of parliament. The increase will be driven by the economy’s strong bounce back from its early 2020 covid-induced malaise and a recognition that China is facing a broad array of potential military antagonists. From its border dispute with India, to its contentious claims to broad swaths of the South China Sea, to its efforts to bring Taiwan to heel, China faces numerous challenges. China is facing the most severe security situation since the Korean War,” said Ni Lexiong, a retired professor at the Shanghai University of Political Science and Law. While China’s military spending is expected to increase significantly, it is still dwarfed by U.S. military spending.
