Asia, China's Military Spending | featured news

China’s military spending has been rapidly spiraling upward, and the growing amounts are unnerving Beijing’s Asian neighbors and policy planners in the Pentagon, who are openly wary about the country’s long-term intentions.

After nearly two decades of double-digit hikes in military spending, Beijing's announcement of a relatively modest 7.5% rise is seen as an apparent bid to assuage wary East Asia neighbors.

China announced Thursday the smallest increase in its defense budget in years, in an apparent attempt to assuage international fears that its military is growing too powerful.