Increase in Chinese Defense Spending
China’s officials announced that China’s military budget will increase 17.8 % in 2007.
Mr. Jiang Enzhu, spokesman for the National People’s Congress, states that money would be used mostly to increase wages for military personnel and to upgrade weapons, but gave no further details. He also claimed that their military budget rose 14.7 % from last year.
Jiang Enzhu said that military spending next year would amount to 350.92bn yuan, an increase of 52.99bn yuan.
United States has expressed concern over this increase in budget for military and called for greater transparency in Beijing’s budget. Vice President Cheney announced that with their missile test in January Chinese are not following peaceful developments they promised. As a response China hit back with a spokesman for the foreign ministry in Beijing accusing the US of acting like a nosy neighbor.
Qin Gang, spokesman for foreign ministry in Beijing, said China's policies were intended only at defense, rejecting claims of solid spending policies. As a response Mr. Gang stated: “China adheres to peaceful development and advocates a harmonious society of lasting peace and common prosperity. That's what has allowed China to win trust, co-operation and friends in the world."
Mr. Jiang Enzhu, spokesman for the National People’s Congress, states that money would be used mostly to increase wages for military personnel and to upgrade weapons, but gave no further details. He also claimed that their military budget rose 14.7 % from last year.
Jiang Enzhu said that military spending next year would amount to 350.92bn yuan, an increase of 52.99bn yuan.
United States has expressed concern over this increase in budget for military and called for greater transparency in Beijing’s budget. Vice President Cheney announced that with their missile test in January Chinese are not following peaceful developments they promised. As a response China hit back with a spokesman for the foreign ministry in Beijing accusing the US of acting like a nosy neighbor.
Qin Gang, spokesman for foreign ministry in Beijing, said China's policies were intended only at defense, rejecting claims of solid spending policies. As a response Mr. Gang stated: “China adheres to peaceful development and advocates a harmonious society of lasting peace and common prosperity. That's what has allowed China to win trust, co-operation and friends in the world."
posted by dinka beslagic at 9:47 AM
1 Comments:
This news regarding a rise in China's military spending is somewhat alarming. Though it is being spent supposedly for defensive purposes and raises in military salaries, one can't help but wonder and fear that the money will not go towards policing in the domestic realm and the development of weapons to be used against Taiwan. Several factors can also explain this rise in Chinese military spending. This could include the rising threat of North Korea's nuclear weapons program and the continued free-riding of Japan for military power in the region. Whatever the actual breakdown of military spending for China, it seems that the United States should be the last country in the world to criticize China for the rise. The U.S. government's expenditures on the military are greater than any other country in the world - and where is the transparency in that?
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