China defends military spending

The largest increase in Chinese defense expenditure in two decades is not aimed at Taiwan, a senior army officer was quoted as saying yesterday by state media, even as he issued a new threat.

This year's 17.7 percent rise is not "in any way directly linked with the Taiwan question," the China Daily said, citing Lu Fengbin (陸鳳彬), the military's ranking political officer in Fujian Province just across the Taiwan Strait.

"We prefer peaceful means [of unification with Taiwan], but we are preparing for war to prevent Taiwan authorities from going too far," Lu said.

Sun Zhiqiang (孫志強), deputy head of the army's logistics department, also told the paper the rise in defense spending to around US$17 billion was mainly for defensive purposes.

"The modernization of the military is necessary," he said. "It is necessary for the defensive strategy we have adopted, which means that we do not threaten others."

The prominent position of yesterday's article, on the front page of China's largest English-language daily, suggests China may feel a need to explain its motives for hiking the defense budget.

After the release of the Chinese government budget early last week, alarm bells have been ringing both in Taipei and Washington.

Following the announcement, US Secretary of State Colin Powell said the US would want answers about China's planned military buildup in upcoming talks with Chinese officials.

"We have to learn more about it, we have to monitor it and we have to ask the Chinese about it when we have that opportunity," Powell said at a news conference.

The paper said the lion's share of the budget rise would go to increasing the salaries of China's 2.5 million personnel under arms.

Over the past few years, the government has asked the top brass to "exercise patience," but as the economy has improved, now the time has come to benefit the country's servicemen.

Many soldiers now have to cope with dismal living standards, accommodated in run-down barracks badly maintained due to a lack of funding, according to the paper.

While servicemen used to enjoy 20 percent higher salaries than officials at corresponding levels in the civil service, they have lagged behind in recent years, the paper said.

"With the increase in the salaries of staff at government organizations and institutions, it is reasonable to increase the incomes of servicemen," said Sun. "This is a very important reason for the increased military budget."