How are Chinas neighbours viewing Beijings military plans? [Video]

At the opening of China’s rubber-stamp parliament on Sunday, outgoing Premier Li Keqiang announced an increase to the nation’s military spending, pointing to “escalating” security threats from abroad. Beijing now plans to spend about 1.55 trillion yuan ($225 billion, €213 billion) on its military for the year, marking a 7.2 percent rise and the quickest rate of increase since 2019. The military must “devote greater energy to training under combat conditions, and… strengthen military work in all directions and domains,” Li said.

China’s defense spending still pales in comparison with the United States, which has allocated over $800 billion for its military this year. But Western analysts believe Beijing spends much more on defense than the officially announced sums.