Defense budget to rise 12.2%
Print Edition
China plans to raise its defense budget by 12.2 percent to 808.2 billion yuan (US$132 billion) this year, according to a draft budget report submitted to the national legislature yesterday for review.
It would be the highest growth rate since 2011.
Sun Huangtian, deputy head of the general logistics department of the People’s Liberation Army, said this year’s defense budget would be spent mainly on modernizing weapons and equipment, improving living and working conditions for service personnel, and updating the army’s management system.
Sun described the increase in military expenditure as “moderate, and limited in scale.”
“We will ensure that every cent of the money is spent wisely to boost the army’s combativeness,” he said.
Chen Zhou, a researcher with the Academy of Military Sciences, said China’s military spending was at a “reasonable and balanced” level.
“Compared with major powers in the world, China’s spending in national defense is considerably lower either in terms of its share of GDP or in per capita terms,” he said. “In order to protect the country and safeguard regional peace and stability, China has to enhance its national defense.”
Chen acknowledged that China was under increasing strategic pressure, as the Asia-Pacific region had become a global geopolitical and economic center, with some major powers “speeding up strategic adjustments and strengthening military alliances.”
Highlighting an increase in maritime security risks, territorial and maritime disputes, as well as terrorist threats, Chen said: “The comparatively low level of input into national defense, coupled with a high-risk security environment, dictates that we must raise our defense budget on a moderate scale.”
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