China condemns US for doubling down on military spending with $1 trillion budget, warns it won’t ‘make America great again’
Zhang Xiaogang, spokesperson for China’s Ministry of National Defence, said on Wednesday that the United States’ ballooning defence spending exposes its belief in brute force over diplomacy. “America’s sky-high defence budget exposed once again the bellicose nature of the US side and its belief in ‘might makes right’,” Zhang was quoted by the state-run Xinhua news agency.
He warned the unprecedented budget boost would not strengthen the US, but instead, sow hardship both domestically and globally. “Wanton use of force will not make America great again,” Zhang said. “Such an act would only inflict painful disasters upon the people of the US and the rest of the world.”
Zhang also criticised Washington’s fiscal priorities, saying, “The US government is in heavy debt, yet it keeps pouring ill-gotten wealth exploited from other countries into manufacturing weapons.”
Trump announces the biggest military budget in US history
The criticism comes in response to President Donald Trump’s announcement earlier this week that his administration plans to approve a $1 trillion defence budget for fiscal 2026. Trump revealed the figure during a press event at the White House with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
“We’re going to be approving a budget, and I’m proud to say, actually, the biggest one we’ve ever done for the military,” Trump said. “$1 trillion. Nobody has seen anything like it. We are getting a very, very powerful military. We have things under order now.”The proposed amount marks a nearly 12% jump over the current fiscal year’s military budget and is set to take effect from October 1, 2025. It aligns with Trump’s broader push to strengthen national defence and modernise military assets. “We’ve never had the kind of aircraft, the kind of missiles, anything that we have ordered,” Trump said. “And it’s in many ways too bad that we have to do it because, hopefully, we’re not going to have to use it.”
Pushback at home, tensions abroad
Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth endorsed the announcement on social media, writing, “Coming soon: the first Trillion dollar Department of Defense budget. President Donald Trump is rebuilding our military — and fast.” He also insisted the funds would be used “wisely, on lethality and readiness.”
However, the move is likely to sharpen divisions in Congress. While Republicans have long pushed for higher defence spending, they’ve also demanded cuts in other government programmes to manage the growing deficit. With Democrats in the minority, their ability to oppose the increase is limited, though many have already criticised potential cuts to non-defence services.
At the same time, Trump’s plan still falls short of his stated goal for all NATO members to spend 5% of their GDP on defence—something most allies currently do not meet.
China’s budget rise, but still a quarter of US spending
While China’s own military spending is increasing, it still lags far behind the US. Last month, Beijing raised its defence budget by 7.2%, bringing its total to USD 249 billion—a USD 17 billion rise from the previous year. Despite being the world’s second-largest military spender, its budget is only a quarter of the US proposal.
Nonetheless, China has framed its spending as necessary for national defence and regional stability, while portraying the US as increasingly aggressive. Zhang’s remarks suggest that Beijing sees Washington’s budget boost not just as a domestic issue but as a global threat.
Domestic cuts behind the military push
The trillion-dollar military package is expected to be partly funded by cost-cutting measures across other federal agencies. Trump has tasked the Department of Government Efficiency with finding savings, but so far, no specific areas have been outlined.
Already, some cuts are underway. About 300 payroll jobs in military medical centres are being eliminated, while another 300 are being shifted to other roles. The Veterans Affairs department has also announced it will shut down the Veterans Affairs Servicing Purchase programme from May 1. These moves are part of a wider effort to reduce the size of the federal workforce, which has also affected military childcare centres.
The scale of the US military budget and the speed at which it is growing have unsettled not just rivals like China but also allies and domestic critics. With the full budget plan for fiscal 2026 expected later this spring, further scrutiny is likely—both inside Washington and abroad.
As global tensions simmer and strategic rivalries sharpen, the battle over budgets is quickly becoming a frontline of its own.
(With inputs from PTI)
