School of War

Ep 161: Mackenzie Eaglen on China’s Military Spending and Ours

33 snips
Dec 3, 2024
Mackenzie Eaglen, a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute and an expert in defense strategy and budgets, delves into the stark realities of U.S. military funding. She highlights the alarming gap between China's reported and actual defense spending, stressing its implications for U.S. military readiness. Eaglen also discusses the critical need for strategic responses to China's advancements and the long-term impacts of budget constraints on national security and education. Her insights reveal the urgent necessity for the U.S. to modernize its defense approach.
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INSIGHT

China's Military Spending Discrepancy

  • The size of China's military raises questions about official budget figures.
  • Despite a smaller reported budget, they possess the world's largest navy and a growing military presence.
INSIGHT

PLA and CCP Budget Transparency

  • Mackenzie Eaglen asserts that the Chinese PLA and the CCP underreport their true military spending.
  • Her research suggests their budget is closer to the US budget, contrary to official claims.
ANECDOTE

Chinese Espionage: The Rice Case

  • Chinese espionage and intellectual property theft are significant, even extending to agricultural products.
  • A case of Chinese graduate students stealing rice highlights the scale of this issue.
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