China Dramatically Increasing Military Spending

News

China will boost military spending by 14.9% this year despite the economic slowdown, continuing a run of double-digit increases that have unsettled the US and Asian neighbours.

The spokesman for the National People's Congress – China's rubber-stamp parliament, which begins its annual session tomorrow – told reporters it was a "modest" increase which would increase capabilities and improve conditions for the 2.3 million members of the world's largest army.

Li Zhaoxing said defence spending will reach 480.6bn yuan (£50bn), 62.5bn yuan more than 2008. But the rise is slightly below last year's 17.6% increase – and the total is still dwarfed by US military spending.

The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) estimates that even when comparative buying power is considered, China spent the equivalent of $140bn (£99bn) in 2007, to America's $547bn. The UK spent the equivalent of $54bn.

SIPRI suggests defence spending in China has risen threefold in real terms over the last decade.

Even as China faces an economic recession, it is increasing its military spending. Why? It seems to be spreading its influence throughout Africa and the Middle East.

It looks like the way Japan is reacting we may continue to see frosty relations between the two Asian superpowers and perhaps a cold war...

Ofcourse China is increasing it's military. It owns the US with all of the money they've borrowed from them and China knows that something big is coming.

There is going to be a need for that army when the SHTF, and besides if you have 2.0 million troops to take care of, even that increase would really only account for new-age equipment and military toys.

The chinese aren't a stupid people, they will play nice for a long time, a very long time until they have exhausted every option economically and diplomatically.

There will be a time when China will ask for things or do thigns the world does not approve of. Whether it be invading North Korea or a continuation in their horrible human rights situation they have now in Tibet, something is brewing in that part of world, and it's not going to be pretty.

China has also been putting money into Nuclear powered submarines to strenghten it's navy as well as it's air force if i'm on mistaken.

It is still a bit of a odd thing that they would focus on the military "right now" as opposed to a year or so from now when the markets will "supposedly" jump back up. I guess they're not as poor as they would like us to think.

~Keeper

[edit on 3/4/2009 by tothetenthpower]

They are desperate to reach Naval parity with the US.

I bet if we could get a more accurate breakdown of the spending, the majority of the new spending will be on the Navy.

Hasn't it always been this way, whenever a country was in economic trouble, enough money would always miraculously come up to fund the military?

Germany was broke after the First World War but they came up with the money to fund World War 2... Courtesy of the Rothschilds?

It's happening in America right now. The military is spending, spending, spending, drawing out money from bottomless purses.

Because of the economic crisis, 20 million Chinese will be out of jobs, and this worries the government, but to put them on your side you'll make them join the military to serve you... Courtesy of the Chinese Triads or the Government, take your pick

Win-win for the PTB and loss-loss for the sheeple.

[edit on 4-3-2009 by star in a jar]

Originally posted by s4dreamlnd93
They are desperate to reach Naval parity with the US.

I bet if we could get a more accurate breakdown of the spending, the majority of the new spending will be on the Navy.

So they can invade Tawain? The only reason they haven't so far is because they're afraid of the U.S. navy? I thought the U.S. isn't backing up Tawain anymore though...

reply to post by s4dreamlnd93

They are desperate to reach Naval parity with the US.

Even if they doubled their defense spending, it would take them 20 or 30 years to catch up with the USN in quantitative terms, ignoring technological progress (where they are catching up a bit faster.)

Their defense spending as compared with their GDP is about 1.4% to 2.5% depending on whose figures you use, as compared with just over 4% in the US.


They don't have a dozen supercarriers, they don't even have one.

They don't have a dozen amphibious assault carriers (LHA & LHD), they don't even have one.

They have no military power projection capability beyond their own immediate region, and don't appear to be investing in any either.

The "Chinese threat" to the US is massively exaggerated.
They are capable of giving us a bloody nose just off their own shores, but that's about it.

An eventual war with China is inevitable.
But I'm sure that isn't planned for any time soon.

They don't have the capability yet. And won't for quite some time.

I would imagine that their spending increase is a response to increasing tensions in their immediate region.