Politics

China increases military budget again after general dismissals

dpatopbilder - People walk under snowfall to the Great Hall of the People. Photo: Johannes Neudecker/dpa

Keystone

China wants to significantly increase its defense budget once again. At the start of the annual session of the National People's Congress, the government presented a draft budget that provides for a 7 percent increase in the military budget to around 1.9 trillion yuan (approximately 236 billion euros). In the previous year, the military budget had grown by a similar amount of 7.2 percent.

Keystone-SDA

05.03.2026, 10:50

China has the second largest defense budget in the world after the USA. State and party leader Xi Jinping has been pushing ahead with a comprehensive modernization of the People's Liberation Army since taking office in 2013. The aim is to create a "world-class army" by 2049.

Tensions over Taiwan

The renewed increase in the military budget comes against the backdrop of ongoing tensions in the region. The situation around Taiwan remains particularly sensitive. The island, which has been democratically governed for decades, is regarded by Beijing as its own territory. Xi has made it clear on several occasions that he will not postpone unification indefinitely - even by force if necessary. China recently increased military pressure on Taiwan with extensive naval and air force maneuvers.

At the same time as rearmament, the Chinese leadership is also cracking down on its own military. In recent years, numerous high-ranking generals have been dismissed or investigated. Observers are talking about one of the biggest disciplinary campaigns within the People's Liberation Army in decades. The campaign has recently intensified once again. Shortly before the start of the People's Congress, several military representatives were also removed from parliament.

Powerful military commission also affected

The measures extend all the way to the top of the armed forces. Officers from the Central Military Commission, the army's supreme command body chaired by Xi, are also affected. The committee is said to have been significantly thinned out as a result of the latest investigations and dismissals. The commission controls the People's Liberation Army and decides on key issues of military strategy.

Experts see several objectives behind this approach. On the one hand, corruption within the armed forces is to be combated. At the same time, the party leadership is trying to secure the political loyalty of the army and eliminate structures that could hinder military modernization.