U.S. unprecedented defense budget threatens global security, stability

Cartoon by Tan Xiguang

U.S. President Joe Biden recently signed the Fiscal Year 2025 National Defense Authorization Act, which raised the country's defense budget to about $895 billion.

In the past four years, the U.S. defense budget has continuously reached unprecedented levels. In the 2021 fiscal year, the U.S. defense budget stood at $740.5 billion, an increase of 0.3 percent compared to the previous fiscal year; in the 2022 fiscal year, the figure was $753 billion, up by 1.7 percent compared to the 2021 fiscal year; in the 2023 fiscal year, the U.S. defense budget surpassed the $800 billion threshold, reaching $813 billion; and the last fiscal year saw the number soar to $842 billion. In 2025 fiscal year, it is approaching $900 billion.

To maintain its hegemonic position, the U.S. keeps increasing defense spending, pursuing military dominance despite high national debt. These enormous military expenditures will likely trigger a global arms race and threaten global security and stability.