Double-digit increase in spending on defense
Source: Xinhua |
March 6, 2013, Wednesday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
CHINA unveiled a double-digit rise in military expenditure yesterday, with spending on the People's Liberation Army rising 10.7 percent to 720.2 billion yuan (US$114.3 billion).
Still, defense spending is contained at about 5.4 percent of total expenditure and remains at about a fifth of the Pentagon's outlays.
Premier Wen Jiabao said the government "should accelerate the modernization of national defense and the armed forces and should resolutely uphold China's sovereignty, security and territorial integrity and ensure its peaceful development."
The military spending will be used to improve living and working conditions of service people, make the armed forces more mechanized and information-based, and safeguard national security, according to a budget report submitted to the national legislature for review yesterday.
China spent 650.6 billion yuan on national defense in 2012, an increase of 11.5 percent from the previous year, says the report to the first session of the 12th National People's Congress.
Moderate growth of defense spending can better achieve PLA's goal to boost combativeness, said Yin Zhuo, director of the Expert Consultation Committee of the PLA Navy.
"The PLA is at a stage of intensifying efforts to accomplish the dual historic tasks of military mechanization and full IT application. It is a critical moment that calls for greater defense expenditure," Yin said.
Party chief Xi Jinping earlier ordered the PLA to intensify its "real combat" awareness in order to sustain military readiness.
"It is the top priority for the military to be able to combat and win battles," Xi, who is also chairman of the Party's Central Military Commission, said in December.
Chen Zhou, a researcher with the PLA Military Science Academy, noted that the growth of China's defense expenditure had historically lagged far behind the country's economic development.
"After years of 'compensatory' budget growth, China's military spending is getting more coordinated with the country's economic growth," said Chen.
Still, defense spending is contained at about 5.4 percent of total expenditure and remains at about a fifth of the Pentagon's outlays.
Premier Wen Jiabao said the government "should accelerate the modernization of national defense and the armed forces and should resolutely uphold China's sovereignty, security and territorial integrity and ensure its peaceful development."
The military spending will be used to improve living and working conditions of service people, make the armed forces more mechanized and information-based, and safeguard national security, according to a budget report submitted to the national legislature for review yesterday.
China spent 650.6 billion yuan on national defense in 2012, an increase of 11.5 percent from the previous year, says the report to the first session of the 12th National People's Congress.
Moderate growth of defense spending can better achieve PLA's goal to boost combativeness, said Yin Zhuo, director of the Expert Consultation Committee of the PLA Navy.
"The PLA is at a stage of intensifying efforts to accomplish the dual historic tasks of military mechanization and full IT application. It is a critical moment that calls for greater defense expenditure," Yin said.
Party chief Xi Jinping earlier ordered the PLA to intensify its "real combat" awareness in order to sustain military readiness.
"It is the top priority for the military to be able to combat and win battles," Xi, who is also chairman of the Party's Central Military Commission, said in December.
Chen Zhou, a researcher with the PLA Military Science Academy, noted that the growth of China's defense expenditure had historically lagged far behind the country's economic development.
"After years of 'compensatory' budget growth, China's military spending is getting more coordinated with the country's economic growth," said Chen.
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