China is to keep up a “reasonable and appropriate” increase in defense spending to satisfy its national security and military reforms, a government spokesman said yesterday, ahead of the release of the country’s defense budget.
China’s spending on its armed forces is closely watched in Asia and Washington for pointers to its broader strategic intentions amid an impressive modernization program that has developed stealth fighters, aircraft carriers and anti-satellite missiles.
Last year, China unveiled its largest defense spending increase in three years, setting an 8.1 percent growth target for the year.
Speaking ahead of the Chinese National People’s Congress’ release of the national budget today, congress External Affairs Committee Chairman Zhang Yesui (張業遂) said that China has always walked the path of peaceful development.
“Maintaining reasonable and appropriate growth in national defense spending is needed for protecting national security and for military reforms with Chinese characteristics,” Zhang said.
China’s “limited” defense spending is only for its own security needs, and to protect its sovereignty and territorial integrity, and would not threaten other countries, he added.
“Whether a country poses a military threat to other countries depends on its foreign and defense policies, rather than how much its defense spending increases,” Zhang said.
He did not elaborate on how much defense spending would rise, as has often been the custom over the past few years on the day before the legislature opens.
US President Donald Trump has backed plans to request US$750 billion from the US Congress for defense spending this year.
That compares with 1.11 trillion yuan (US$165.67 billion) set aside by China for its military budget last year.
Zhang said that China only spent about 1.3 percent of GDP on its military last year, compared with more than 2 percent for “certain major developed countries.”
China gives no breakdown of its defense budget, prompting complaints from neighbors and other military powers that Beijing’s lack of transparency has fueled regional tension.
China has said that it is fully transparent and poses no threat.
Diplomats and many foreign experts have said that China’s defense numbers probably underestimate true military spending for the Chinese People’s Liberation Army.
This year’s figure should be unveiled at the opening of the annual session of China’s largely rubber-stamp parliament today, although in 2017, it was not initially announced, prompting renewed concerns about transparency.
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