China's defense spending and procurement

China’s military apparatus has undergone a radical transformation since the end of the Cold War. In three decades, the People’s Liberation Army has transformed into a major player in the East Asia and Asia Pacific region, second only to the United States. This transformation has been supported by a massive investment in the modernization of China’s armed forces that has allowed the PLA to achieve generational leaps in the platforms and weapons it deploys. This chapter examines the trajectory of China’s defence spending and the evolution of the PLA’s acquisition patterns in the last thirty years. It first clarifies the scope of Beijing’s investment in the Chinese military apparatus, in a context where the pervasive lack of transparency continues to generate major uncertainties. Focusing on sea, air and missile capabilities, the chapter then examines changes in the PLA’s patterns of acquisition, showing a decreasing reliance on foreign suppliers and a maturation of China’s domestic production.