That's legit, not whataboutism. But if you look at how the money is spent, they are definitely not the same thing. It's the difference between China spending

That's legit, not whataboutism. But if you look at how the money is spent, they are definitely not the same thing. It's the difference between China spending $1B to control the Spratley Islands while US spending $1B to make sure they are free and navigable by anyone.