China proposes 7% increase in defense budget for 2026, maintaining single-digit growth trend By ZHAO LEI | chinadaily.com.cn | Updated: 2026-03-05 10:30

https://www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202603/05/WS69a8eacea310d6866eb3bd7f.html The Chinese government has proposed a defense budget of roughly 1.91 trillion yuan ($276.9 billion) for the 2026 fiscal year, a 7 percent year-on-year increase, according to a draft budget report submitted to the national legislature on Thursday morning.