I used to watch a lot of C-SPAN 10 to 15 years ago, back in the Brian Lamb days. One of the reasons I quit was because it turned into the American Enterprise Institute channel.
So as soon as I saw aei.org up to the right of the "700B dollars" I noped right out.
If you add up the NATO/ASEAN/AUKUS/<other> partners, its about another $500b which is a lot of money in anyone's book. China ain't got anyone spending money on its defences but itself, and I think India (and arguably Vietnam) stand as examples of borders which have been "hot" more recently than Canada or Mexico.
China has a huge seaboard. Thats without Barbies hot-pink 10-dash-line. Just the coastline and normal cruising waters demands a bunch of stuff. Then, consider the size of the chinese international fishing fleet, Conoco, Cosco.. They have a lot of assets to think about defending, at sea all the time.
I'm not whatabouting, I think it's legitimate to ask what forces could come to bear and its by no means just the US $800b which is undoubtedly an under-estimate too. There is another $500b which is in part likely to face China, if it comes to a "how many divisions does the pope have" question.
So as soon as I saw aei.org up to the right of the "700B dollars" I noped right out.