Chinese military budget and South Asia
Barrister Harun Ur Rashid
China's military budget will rise 12.7% in 2011 to about $91.5 billion, a parliamentary spokesman said on March 4, resuming a long string of double-digit annual increases after an unexpected slowdown in 2010. Li Zhaoxing, the spokesman, justified the increase, saying that the military was a defensive force in China and "will not pose a threat to any country."
Mr. Li announced the increase as China's 3000-delegate National People's Congress opened its annual session on March 5. He said that the extra money would be spent on new weaponry and on pay increases. The world's largest army, with 2.3 million soldiers (US army has 1.6 million), and China's navy and air force have been rapidly modernising their arsenals. The Pentagon says that the Chinese navy could deploy its first aircraft carrier this year.
Since 1989, the budget has risen by an average of 12.9% per year, according to Global Security Organisation, a private institution that maintains an online database of military-related information. However, many Western analysts and the Pentagon say that China's actual military spending is probably considerably higher than the reported amount.
China's publicly reported military spending rose 7.5% in 2010, a modest increase that some analysts said might reflect a diversion of money to deal with the global economic crisis.The air force conducted its first flight test of a stealth fighter jet, the J-20, in January this year when the US Defence Secretary Robert Gates was in Beijing, resuming top-level relations with Chinese military after a year-long estrangement because of the sale of weapons to Taiwan by the US.
China plans to resume double-digit growth of its official defence spending this year, a move likely to unsettle neighbours concerned by its rapid military modernisation and ever-more assertive attitude.Japan expressed concern at China's "very high" military spending. He said Beijing should be pushed to be more transparent on why such expenditure was needed and how the money would be spent. It highlighted worries about development of an aircraft carrier and stealth fighters. "China's modernisation of its military and increased activity is, along with insufficient transparency, a matter of concern," Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary, Yukio Edano, said.
Other countries have also grown more nervous of China's rapid modernisation of its People's Liberation Army, the world's largest standing army, with 2.3million active soldiers. "They say their strategy is peaceful development, but their military modernisation, especially in the naval area, speaks another language," said one South-East Asian country.
Last year, Beijing started publicising a large number of military exercises, making much more visible the progress the military -- especially the navy -- has made in mastering more complex tasks and moving farther away from its coast.South-East Asian countries sided with the US last year in calling on Beijing to try to defuse tension in the South China Sea, an area with vital sealanes in which China has territorial disputes with some of its neighbours.Vietnam said on March 4 that it had protested to China this week over naval exercises in disputed territory in the Spratly islands last week. The Philippines said it had protested to China over an incident in which two Chinese patrol boats threatened to ram a survey ship.
Some analysts say the Chinese military budget is very meagre compared with that of the United States. The US's military budget is roughly $700 billion as of last year. It has 11 aircraft carriers, 139 stealth fghters, and nearly 2,400 fighter jets -- almost a thousand more than in China.
Although China is still decades away from building a military as strong as the US, the question is whether the US can meet its commitments to maintain a strong presence in the Asia-Pacific region.
There will also be an impact on the rise of military budget of China on South Asia because India defines its security position against China's military strength while Pakistan assesses its security concern against India's military power. This has resulted in nuclear arms and missiles race in South Asia.It has been reported by US intelligence that Pakistan has increased its nuclear warheads as the world's fifth largest nuclear weapons power, overtaking Britain. The deployed weapons now range to more than 110, according to the recent estimates of US intelligence.
Observers say that Pakistan has been infuriated by the nuclear deal between Washington and New Delhi in recent times, arguing that it has freed up India's homemade fuel to produce new weapons. As a result, Pakistan argues that it has no choice but to bolster its own production.Pakistan says what it has is a credible, minimum nuclear deterrent and people should not get unduly concerned about the stockpile of nuclear weapons.
Whatever the concerns, China does not spread its political ideology in Asia. Its policy of non-interference in domestic affairs has put China on a good standing with Asian countries.
China is not expansionist like other global powers who seek increased territorial control or influence. Beyond Taiwan and its current national boundaries, the history of modern China does not suggest a desire for territorial expansion.
China has cut out a bigger and benign influence over the Asia-Pacific region. The balance of power in the area is changing in the sense that within decades the US may likely lose its lone supremacy in the region.Asian countries need to build deeper and more effective relationships with China. In the first instance, this needs to occur between governments by engaging China in multilateral and regional institutions, and at a bilateral level.At the same time, there is an important role for business leaders, academics and other private sector organisations and individuals to contribute to constructive relationship through engagement with their counterparts in China.
Observers believe the leaders of US and China can forge a constructive and peaceful future, and will be able to overcome the challenges that could arise when two world powers seek to maximise their influence in a region.
http://www.thedailystar.net/story.php?nid=179646
China's military budget will rise 12.7% in 2011 to about $91.5 billion, a parliamentary spokesman said on March 4, resuming a long string of double-digit annual increases after an unexpected slowdown in 2010. Li Zhaoxing, the spokesman, justified the increase, saying that the military was a defensive force in China and "will not pose a threat to any country."
Mr. Li announced the increase as China's 3000-delegate National People's Congress opened its annual session on March 5. He said that the extra money would be spent on new weaponry and on pay increases. The world's largest army, with 2.3 million soldiers (US army has 1.6 million), and China's navy and air force have been rapidly modernising their arsenals. The Pentagon says that the Chinese navy could deploy its first aircraft carrier this year.
Since 1989, the budget has risen by an average of 12.9% per year, according to Global Security Organisation, a private institution that maintains an online database of military-related information. However, many Western analysts and the Pentagon say that China's actual military spending is probably considerably higher than the reported amount.
China's publicly reported military spending rose 7.5% in 2010, a modest increase that some analysts said might reflect a diversion of money to deal with the global economic crisis.The air force conducted its first flight test of a stealth fighter jet, the J-20, in January this year when the US Defence Secretary Robert Gates was in Beijing, resuming top-level relations with Chinese military after a year-long estrangement because of the sale of weapons to Taiwan by the US.
China plans to resume double-digit growth of its official defence spending this year, a move likely to unsettle neighbours concerned by its rapid military modernisation and ever-more assertive attitude.Japan expressed concern at China's "very high" military spending. He said Beijing should be pushed to be more transparent on why such expenditure was needed and how the money would be spent. It highlighted worries about development of an aircraft carrier and stealth fighters. "China's modernisation of its military and increased activity is, along with insufficient transparency, a matter of concern," Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary, Yukio Edano, said.
Other countries have also grown more nervous of China's rapid modernisation of its People's Liberation Army, the world's largest standing army, with 2.3million active soldiers. "They say their strategy is peaceful development, but their military modernisation, especially in the naval area, speaks another language," said one South-East Asian country.
Last year, Beijing started publicising a large number of military exercises, making much more visible the progress the military -- especially the navy -- has made in mastering more complex tasks and moving farther away from its coast.South-East Asian countries sided with the US last year in calling on Beijing to try to defuse tension in the South China Sea, an area with vital sealanes in which China has territorial disputes with some of its neighbours.Vietnam said on March 4 that it had protested to China this week over naval exercises in disputed territory in the Spratly islands last week. The Philippines said it had protested to China over an incident in which two Chinese patrol boats threatened to ram a survey ship.
Some analysts say the Chinese military budget is very meagre compared with that of the United States. The US's military budget is roughly $700 billion as of last year. It has 11 aircraft carriers, 139 stealth fghters, and nearly 2,400 fighter jets -- almost a thousand more than in China.
Although China is still decades away from building a military as strong as the US, the question is whether the US can meet its commitments to maintain a strong presence in the Asia-Pacific region.
There will also be an impact on the rise of military budget of China on South Asia because India defines its security position against China's military strength while Pakistan assesses its security concern against India's military power. This has resulted in nuclear arms and missiles race in South Asia.It has been reported by US intelligence that Pakistan has increased its nuclear warheads as the world's fifth largest nuclear weapons power, overtaking Britain. The deployed weapons now range to more than 110, according to the recent estimates of US intelligence.
Observers say that Pakistan has been infuriated by the nuclear deal between Washington and New Delhi in recent times, arguing that it has freed up India's homemade fuel to produce new weapons. As a result, Pakistan argues that it has no choice but to bolster its own production.Pakistan says what it has is a credible, minimum nuclear deterrent and people should not get unduly concerned about the stockpile of nuclear weapons.
Whatever the concerns, China does not spread its political ideology in Asia. Its policy of non-interference in domestic affairs has put China on a good standing with Asian countries.
China is not expansionist like other global powers who seek increased territorial control or influence. Beyond Taiwan and its current national boundaries, the history of modern China does not suggest a desire for territorial expansion.
China has cut out a bigger and benign influence over the Asia-Pacific region. The balance of power in the area is changing in the sense that within decades the US may likely lose its lone supremacy in the region.Asian countries need to build deeper and more effective relationships with China. In the first instance, this needs to occur between governments by engaging China in multilateral and regional institutions, and at a bilateral level.At the same time, there is an important role for business leaders, academics and other private sector organisations and individuals to contribute to constructive relationship through engagement with their counterparts in China.
Observers believe the leaders of US and China can forge a constructive and peaceful future, and will be able to overcome the challenges that could arise when two world powers seek to maximise their influence in a region.
http://www.thedailystar.net/story.php?nid=179646
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