Illustration: Liu Rui/GT

 

China on Tuesday released its defense budget for 2013, saying it would raise the budget to 720.2 billion yuan ($115.8 billion), a year-on-year increase of 10.7 percent.

China's double-digit growth rate of military budget for three consecutive years has aroused feverish speculations from some powers on its usages and intentions.

Domestically, there are voices claiming that given the gravity of the situation that confronts China today, the increase is not enough to meet the demands of China's defense.

China's military budget is growing in step with China's economic growth. Given the economic growth rate of 7.8 percent in 2012 and an inflation rate between 3.5 percent and 4.5 percent, an increase of military spending by nearly 11 percent is quite reasonable. China spends less than 1.8 percent of its GDP on defense, while the US spends 4.5 percent to 4.8 percent despite a sluggish economy, France and the UK no less than 2.3 percent and Russia no less than 3.9 percent.

In such circumstances, it is groundless for the West to accuse China of excessive military spending.  

Although in many people's eyes China is facing an unfavorable regional climate, the increase announced this year is a slightly slower pace than the 11.2 percent of last year. This is a result of careful considerations on the affordability of China's national economic commitments.

China's economic growth rate fell to less than 8 percent in 2012, and the country has to undertake a serious commitment to reduce poverty and improve people's livelihood.

Some are worried about where the money will go. Nowadays, the cost of researching, developing and purchasing weapons and equipment due to the technological needs of modern weaponry is rising. A vast China needs a range of weaponry to cope with defensive challenges from every direction.

And if China wants to attract talent into the army, it needs to make soldiers' living conditions more attractive.

It happens that the US Pentagon has been hyping the "devastating" effects of a $46 billion across-the-board cut in US defense spending that went into effect on March 1.

Some US analysts echoed the Pentagon by pointing out that the cut in military spending will weaken US military deterrence targeted at China.

The US intention to maintain a deterrence advantage over China is clear. But the key question is: Is China threatening the US? There is no Chinese military base within 8,000 kilometers of US shores, while US has established many military bases within 1,000 kilometers of China's shores.

Due to the two wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, US military spending had greatly soared, which destroyed the US economic development. It's logical that the US now shrinks its military spending.

The US holds it is responsible for global peace, which is the logic of hegemony. But there is no need for the US to assume the responsibility of maintaining the peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific region. It's the business of all the countries in the region.

The 18th National Congress of the CPC has made the right judgment. China is still facing a period of important strategic opportunities, which means it still believes peace and development are the themes of the times, and it will not be confronted with a large-scale war.

Under such conditions, China will boost its defense spending at a proper pace in accordance with economic and technological development.

The article was compiled by Global Times reporter Yu Jincui based on an interview with Yin Zhuo, director of the Chinese Navy Advisory Committee for Informatization and a member of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference. yujincui@globaltimes.com.cn