"Defense Spending First Mentions 'Intelligence', Experts Interpret: New Domain and New Quality Combat Power is the Focus"

[Global Times - Global Network Report by reporter Guo Yuandan] On the 10th, Zhang Xiaogang, spokesperson for the delegation of the People's Liberation Army and the Armed Police Force at the Fourth Session of the 14th National People's Congress, introduced the arrangements for national defense spending in 2026, for the first time placing "intelligence" alongside "mechanization and informatization" as key directions for defense spending. Military issues expert interviewed by the Global Times stated that this indicates that the "purse" of the Chinese military will focus on new domain and new quality combat forces, achieving a strong military through technology, and promoting the large-scale, practical, and systematic development of new domain and new quality combat forces to form systematic combat capabilities.

According to Zhang Xiaogang's introduction, this year's increased military spending is mainly used to accomplish four tasks, ensuring that "good steel is used on the blade": First, "promote the integrated development of mechanization, informatization, and intelligence." Unlike before, for the first time, "intelligence" has been explicitly included in defense spending. Military issues expert Zhang Junsha interpreted this by stating that the spokesperson's first mention of "intelligence" in defense spending is an important strategic deployment made according to the directives of the Party Central Committee and the Central Military Commission, aimed at achieving the military's centenary goal. Promoting the integration of the "three modernizations" is necessary to adapt to the changes in modern warfare and is also an essential path to accelerate the modernization of national defense and the military.

In October 2025, the Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party adopted the "Suggestions of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China on Formulating the 15th Five-Year Plan for National Economic and Social Development" (hereinafter referred to as "Suggestions"). The "Suggestions" propose to "accelerate the integrated development of mechanization, informatization, and intelligence, and enhance strategic capabilities to defend national sovereignty, security, and development interests."

"Currently, the forms of warfare are constantly changing, with the characteristics of mechanization, informatization, and intelligence coexisting and intertwining." Zhang Junsha stated that our military has basically achieved mechanization, and significant progress has been made in informatization, but the construction of intelligence has just begun. Therefore, we should adhere to mechanization as the foundation, informatization as the leading aspect, and intelligence as the direction, promoting the integrated development of the "three modernizations."

In modern warfare, intelligence is playing an increasingly critical role. In recent years, a series of unmanned intelligent equipment and counter-unmanned systems on land, at sea, and in the air, as well as new types of drones, electronic jamming systems, and other networked electronic combat forces, have been applied in practical training scenarios, becoming new highlights in our military's weaponry and equipment development. Additionally, in the "Justice Mission-2025" exercise at the end of 2025, the Eastern Theater Command released an AI short video showcasing the application scenarios of a multi-dimensional unmanned intelligent combat system in high-altitude, low-altitude, surface, underwater, and land operations.

Zhang Xiaogang introduced the second purpose of defense spending: to optimize the joint combat system, promote the large-scale, practical, and systematic development of new domain and new quality combat forces, upgrade and transform traditional combat forces, and strengthen advanced combat capability construction. This statement is also consistent with the "Suggestions."

In recent years, although new domain and new quality combat forces have seen some development, there is still a need to strengthen their large-scale, practical, and systematic aspects. "Zhang Junsha explained that large-scale means forming a certain quantity; having only a few pieces of equipment cannot constitute a systematic combat force; practical means promoting their development towards real combat through exercises and training; and systematic means that new domain and new quality combat forces must achieve organic integration and coordination."

A recent report from the PLA Daily cited Navy representative Qi Weiguang using a distant sea joint patrol as an example to explain how the system "weather vane" reshapes the battlefield form. Throughout the entire operation, the "10,000-ton destroyer" no longer "fights alone," but transforms into a "maritime information hub" and "firepower fulcrum," sharing data in real-time with Air Force early warning aircraft, Navy observation stations, and Army long-range firepower, weaving a precise "sky net."

In addition, Zhang Xiaogang also introduced two other major purposes of defense spending: to accelerate the development of advanced weaponry and equipment and defense technology innovation, to speed up the construction of modern logistics; and to continuously deepen political training, solidly promote practical military training, optimize military human resource policies and systems, improve the educational level of military academies, and cultivate a high-quality, professional new type of military talent.

"The military will promote reforms in military budget management, maintain a dynamic balance of military spending supply and demand, strengthen the full-chain control and performance evaluation of military spending, and ensure that every penny is used effectively." Zhang Xiaogang emphasized.