SIPRI estimates the U.S. spent roughly $916 billion on its military in 2024 versus China's estimated $296 billion — nearly three times more in absolute terms — and the U.S. defense budget remains the largest in the world by a wide margin. "Dramatically underfunded relative to China" is not supported in topline spending; the more defensible argument is purchasing-power parity or specific capability gaps.

• sipri.org· review article
• cfr.org· evidence