Military Spend / China
The world doesn’t appreciate the gravity of this announcement — and the stakes have never been higher.
The United States has committed to the largest military budget in its history — approaching $1 trillion annually — a level of spending not seen even at the height of the Cold War.
“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... $1 trillion. Nobody has seen anything like it. We are getting a very, very powerful military.”
“This will allow us to build the 'Dream Military' that we have long been entitled to and, more importantly, that will keep us SAFE and SECURE, regardless of foe.”
The record military budget is not rhetorical, symbolic, or political theatre. It is strategic.
The record military budget is designed to give the United States unquestionable capacity — the ever-present capability to respond if required, and to do so disproportionately if warranted, a clear signal to the world that the United States remains the unquestioned No. 1 superpower.
It is about deterrence through certainty.
“…making our military once again into the most lethal, badass force on the planet to keep our country safe.”
“In every war game, he or she who moves second is guaranteed to lose.”
At the highest levels of military planning, the most dangerous position in modern conflict is not confrontation — it is reaction.
The United States is thinking ten steps ahead — ensuring it is never caught on the back foot, never forced to scramble in response, and never compelled to act from a position of weakness.
They shape the environment so reaction is never required.
“The men and women we trust to lead our military have made it abundantly clear: The status quo in defense funding – let alone the further instability that would result from our failure to reach an agreement – is handicapping our servicemembers.”
“China has been the biggest driver of those figures. As the Chinese economy expanded at double-digit rates and Beijing began asserting its position as a great power, the country's defense spending rose almost sevenfold in real terms to $310.8 billion in 2025 from $43 billion in 2000.”
“Beijing has prioritized capabilities to erode America's military advantages on land, at sea, in the air, and in space. China wants nothing less than to push the United States of America from the Western Pacific...”
“People’s Republic of China remains our No. 1 long-term geostrategic security challenge. China’s actions are moving it down the path toward confrontation and potential conflict with its neighbors — and possibly with the United States. But again, I say: war with China is neither inevitable nor imminent.”
This is how strategic ground is lost: not with headlines, but with delay, complacency, and a failure to recognise momentum while it is still reversible.
Why does China want these assets — and what strategic value do they see that we don’t?