CHINA IS planning to boost its defence spending by 12.7 per cent this year, but Beijing insists the return to double-digit growth rates in military spending does not pose a threat to other countries in the region.
China’s defence build-up and military plans in recent years have alarmed its neighbours and the United States, where military and political leaders have spoken about a lack of transparency and co-operation in the process. The build-up has been matched with a markedly tough tone in dealing with various regional disputes.
“This will not pose a threat to any country,” said parliamentary spokesman Li Zhaoxing.
The announcement comes a day ahead of the opening of China’s annual parliament, the National People’s Congress, where the latest five-year plan outlining the country’s social and economic goals will be presented amid lower growth targets and concerns about inflation and asset bubbles.
China’s economy has overtaken Japan’s to become the world’s second biggest and Beijing wants to match this economic muscle with a powerful defence force.
China has been more assertive of late and neighbours such as Japan and India have complained about the threat posed by a rapidly rising Chinese military.
The increase to about 601 billion yuan (€65.57 billion) would be used for “appropriate” hardware spending and salary increases for the 2.3 million people in the People’s Liberation Army, the world’s biggest army. Last year, defence spending was up by 7.5 per cent, the first time in years the increase was less than double-digit as China tries to modernise its military.
Mr Li said the increase was just 6 per cent of the budget, which was less than other countries.
“The government has always tried to limit military spending and it has set the defence spending at a reasonable level to ensure the balance between national defence and economic development,” he told a news conference.
China tends to point to Washington’s massive annual military spend.
The US believes the official figures from China hugely understate the real spending figure.
China’s ongoing claims to vast areas of water and mostly uninhabited islets in the South China Sea, along with the expansion of its military presence there, gave its southeast Asian neighbours the jitters last year. Countries including India have also been hiking their defence budgets, prompting fears of a regional arms race.
Relations between China and Japan were badly affected last year when Japan detained the Chinese captain of a boat that crashed into its ships near disputed isles in the East China Sea, the site of vast potential gas and oil reserves.
Last week, a Filipino ship in the South China Sea complained of being harassed by Chinese patrol boats near the disputed Spratly Islands, which are claimed by the Philippines, China and other nations.