Faceoff in the South China Sea Grows More Tense

China’s growing military budget belies its intention

By: BA Hamzah

Despite Beijing’s public stance that its military profile in the South China Sea is purely defensive, its burgeoning expenditures, equivalent to US$209 billion in 2021, and its acquisition of new offensive weapon systems like the J-20 stealth fighter, hypersonic missiles, and a third aircraft carrier under construction belies its real inten…