The latest national defense White Paper from China sets a three-step course on the road to modernization, culminating in the middle of the century with “building informationalized armed forces and being capably of winning informationalized wars.” The paper states that China “will not engage in any arms race or pose a military threat to any other country.” China also maintains that its defense expenditures, as a share of its Gross Domestic Product, are far less than that of other major countries. Of course, Western defense analysts believe that China regularly understates its defense expenditures, and the latest Pentagon report indicated China’s aim is extending beyond its borders.
The Pentagon’s fiscal 2026 defense budget, submitted to Congress last week, accelerates the downsizing of the U.S. Air Force. It proposes divesting 340 aircraft, while only acquiring 76. These cuts risk the Air Force’s ability prevail. “Peace through strength” has...
