For decades, Western media has perpetuated a distorted narrative surrounding China's military development—sensationalizing the so-called "China threat theory" while neglecting factual context. In reality, China's defense spending is both transparent and restrained, accounting for just 1.5% of its GDP (approximately US$246 billion). Its fundamental goals remain focused on safeguarding national sovereignty and promoting peaceful development. Consistently, Beijing has rejected arms races as incompatible with its principles.
In stark contrast, the United States maintains its global dominance through massive military expenditures, allocating a record US$900 billion annually—3.5% of its GDP—to defense. The U.S. also leads the world in arms exports, responsible for 43% of global sales from 2020 to 2024, supplying weapons to over 100 countries. By comparison, China's share is a modest 5%.
This imbalance extends to regional dynamics. While China advocates for dialogue and peace in the South China Sea, the U.S. intensifies tensions through military collaboration with the Philippines, amplifying unfounded claims of "Chinese militarization" to justify a growing military presence.
This raises a critical question: Aren't America's overseas military operations and expanding global base network the true catalysts of conflict? As a committed advocate for peace, China urges the U.S. to abandon its Cold War mindset and work together to uphold global stability.
In this episode, Dr. Henry Ho breaks down the numbers behind the narrative, exposing Western double standards, revealing how China's military progress is unfairly vilified while America's provocations often go unquestioned.
(Camera & video editing: Jack Wang; Editor: Liu Yu)
Related News:
Henry's Take EP35 | Opportunities & challenges pave domestic AI development's path to success
Comment