Strengthening defense to address 'complex security challenges': China

A spokesman for China's parliament said the increase in China's defense budget was "appropriate and reasonable" and aimed at addressing "complex security challenges".

Wang Chao gave no indication as to whether the rate of increase announced on Sunday at the opening of the annual session of the National People's Congress would be higher or lower than the 7.1% rate of the National People's Congress. last year.

But he said the defense budget remains stable as a percentage of GDP and that China's military modernization "will not pose a threat to any country". "On the contrary, it will only be an active force to safeguard regional stability and world peace," Wang told reporters at a news conference."Increasing defense spending is necessary to deal with complex security challenges and for China to assume its responsibilities as a great nation," he said. "China's defense spending...is lower than the global average, and the increase is appropriate and reasonable," Wang said.

China spent 1.7% of GDP on the military in 2021, according to the World Bank, while the United States, with its major overseas obligations, spent a relatively high 3.5%.

China budgeted 1.45 trillion yuan (then $229 billion) for last year. The steady annual increase over two decades has allowed the powerful People's Liberation Army of 2 million to strengthen its capabilities in all categories.

In addition to the world's largest standing army, China also has the world's largest navy and recently launched its third aircraft carrier. It has a huge arsenal of missiles, as well as stealth aircraft, nuclear-capable bombers, advanced surface ships, and nuclear-powered submarines.

China has established a foreign military base in Djibouti, Horn of Africa, and is renovating the Cambodian naval base at Ream, which could give the country at least a semi-permanent presence on duty in the Gulf of Thailand to combat the disputed South China Sea.

The modernization effort has raised concerns among the United States and its allies, especially over Taiwan, the self-governing democratic island that China claims as its territory, will be destroyed by them. control by force if necessary.

This resulted in a large number of weapons being sold to the island, including ground systems, anti-aircraft missiles, and F-16 fighter jets. Taiwan itself recently extended its mandatory military service from four months to a year and revived its own defense industries, including building submarines for the first time.

Although no longer growing at double-digit annual rates for decades, China's defense spending remains relatively high despite high levels of public debt and a robust economy. one-year growth to the second lowest level in at least four decades.

The government says most of the spending increase will be used to improve the welfare of the military. Observers say the budget largely ignores China's arms spending, much of which was developed domestically after years of large-scale imports from Russia. China's immense capabilities and Russia's heavy spending on shells and other materials in the war against Ukraine have raised concerns in the United States.and other places where Beijing could provide military support to Moscow.

Speaking at the G-20 meeting in India on Friday, US Defense Secretary Antony Blinken said that if China engages in "physical and lethal support for Russian aggression or participation in involved in systematically evading sanctions to help Russia, that would be a serious problem for our countries."

"We haven't seen him do that, but we've seen him make this proposal... and I have made it clear that there are consequences to engaging in these actions," Blinken said.

Last month, Beijing put forward a proposal calling for a ceasefire and peace talks between Ukraine and Russia, but also said it had "boundless friendship" with Russia and refused to criticize Moscow's invasion, Or even call it an invasion.He accused the United States and NATO of inciting conflict and condemned the sanctions imposed on Russia and entities seen as contributing to its military efforts.

Last week, those sanctions were expanded to include a Chinese company called Spacety China, which provides satellite imagery of Ukraine to subsidiaries of the Wagner Group, a Russian private military contractor owned by a close associate of Russian President Vladimir Putin. A Luxembourg subsidiary of Spacety China is also targeted.

China, including through the NPC, has pledged to take countermeasures against these sanctions, and Wang said "some countries" have "abused the application of international law" countries...with the aim of bringing down foreign entities and individuals and serving their own interests.

"China firmly opposes such behaviour.It sets out a number of laws and regulations to combat suppression, suppression and interference in internal affairs," Wang said. For acts that undermine China's sovereignty, security and development interests and infringe upon the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese citizens, the law contains relevant provisions, he stated. to resolutely oppose such acts".