According to Taiwanese government estimates based on tracking aircraft and ships and calculating fuel costs and other expenses, China spent $21 billion on military drills in the Taiwan Strait, the East and South China Sea, and the Western Pacific last year, which is about 40% more than 2023.
Four Taiwanese officials confirmed the Reuters analysis of internal Taiwanese military research, which provides a unique glimpse into the likely direction of China’s defense spending as Beijing increases the size of its military presence and the extent of its exercises, unsettling Washington and other regional capitals.
Despite China’s defense budget of 1.67 trillion yuan ($233.47 billion) for the previous year, diplomats generally feel that figure is underreported. The amount of money spent is not broken down by China.
Responses to requests for comment were not received from China’s Taiwan Affairs Office or defense ministry. China has maintained that its military spending is open and poses no threat, despite Taipei’s government’s protests. China considers Taiwan to be its own territory.
The report’s technique was deemed viable and potentially useful by experts, but they warned that it inevitably involved some guessing.
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