BEIJING — China plans to increase its defense spending by 7% this year, Reuters reported Thursday, citing official documents due for public release later in the day.

That would mark the slowest increase in its annual military expenditure since 2021.

The proposal comes as conflict in the Middle East has escalated, amid a broader rise in geopolitical tensions.

For the last three years, China has budgeted a 7.2% annual increase in defense spending. Beijing had increased spending by 7.1% in 2022 and 6.8% in 2021, according to official data.

China will support the faster development of advanced combat capabilities, Reuters said, as well as the “high-quality” modernization of its national defense and armed forces.

Some of Beijing’s latest weapon systems, including long-range missiles, were displayed during a military parade in September.

China is set to kick off its 8-day National People’s Congress on Thursday, an annual parliamentary meeting that officially approves the budget and development goals for the year.

Last year, China proposed a national defense budget of 1.78 trillion yuan ($244.99 billion at the time).

Beijing accounted for nearly 44% of Asia’s defense spending in 2025, up from 39% in 2017, according to the International Institute for Strategic Studies.

China is also second to the U.S. in terms of military spending.

The U.S. budgeted $849.77 billion for defense during the 2025 fiscal year. But estimates from non-profit USAFacts indicate the U.S. ended up spending about $919.2 billion during that time, up 2% from the prior year and accounting for 13% of the federal budget.