China defense budget is 1.78 trillion yuan (about $249 billion), which is roughly less than a third of US defense budget of $850 billion for 2025.

China has emerged as the world's busiest country in terms of passenger and cargo movements, thanks to the rapid growth of its transport, China's Transport Minister, Liu Wei, said on Wednesday.

Japan’s air force scrambled jets to shadow the drones, which analysts believe were probing Tokyo’s military readiness and assertiveness.