The Chinese finance ministry on Wednesday proposed that the “diplomatic endeavours” budget for 2025 be raised by 8.4 per cent to over 64.5 billion yuan (US$8.87 billion), marking a bigger jump than the 6.6 per cent last year. The hike for the military budget, meanwhile, was set at 7.2 per cent, the same as in 2024 and 2023.
The proposed budget was submitted to China’s top legislature as Premier Li Qiang delivered the government’s annual work report to top lawmakers at the “two sessions”, the country’s biggest legislative and political advisory gathering of the year.
Beijing had made “new advances in conducting major country diplomacy with Chinese characteristics”, Li said as the annual session of the National People’s Congress, China’s top legislature, opened on Wednesday.
In particular, he noted that Chinese President Xi Jinping and other top officials had visited many countries over the past year and attended key events including the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation and Group of 20 summits. Trade and investments under the belt and road had also steadily expanded, he added.
“We consolidated and expanded partnerships across the globe, stayed committed to true multilateralism, and played a positive and constructive role in addressing global challenges and resolving regional and international hotspot issues,” Li said.
