China slams US defence spending, warns against ‘wanton use of force’

China has responded sharply to the US announcement of a record-breaking $1 trillion defence budget, with a Chinese official warning that “the wanton use of force will not make America great again.”

The statement came shortly after US President Donald Trump revealed that his administration would approve the largest military expenditure in American history.

Trump announced on April 7 that his government would move forward with what he described as the “biggest military investment we’ve ever done.” US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth called it the first-ever trillion-dollar defense budget, aimed at rebuilding the military with a focus on lethality and combat readiness.

This development follows China’s own defense budget announcement in March, which projected a military spending increase of 7.2 per cent for the third consecutive year, bringing its total to approximately $250 billion.

The US Department of Defense has identified China as a major “pacing threat” to American power and security.

Commenting on the US defense budget, Chinese Defense Ministry spokesperson Zhang Xiaogang criticized what he described as the United States’ “bellicose nature” and its belief in “might makes right.”

He stated that the massive budget exposes Washington’s aggressive mindset and warned that continued reliance on military force would bring “painful disasters” not only to Americans but also to people around the world.

Zhang urged the US to abandon its “obsession with hegemony” and pursue peaceful international relations.