CHINA / National
'China should expand military spending'
(chinanews.com)
Updated: 2006-06-06 06:55
"In the past 27 years, China has achieved remarkable success and progress
in the construction of its economy. However, very few people are aware
that China's development in the area of national defense has lagged
behind its economic growth significantly, resulting in the emergence of
an uncoordinated development between its national defense and its
economy," said Hu Angang, a renowned expert in national scenarios in
China and a professor from Tsing Hua University, expressing his worries
regarding the situation.
Hu Angang, director of the Centre for China Studies at the prestigious
Tsinghua University [file photo]
The basic national scenario for China is that it has a large population
and a vast territory, with a 9.6-million-square-kilometer land area and a
3-million-square-kilometer ocean area.
It borders over ten countries and its borderline extends to tens of
thousands of kilometers, while its coastline is 18,000 km in length.
If China wants to meet the minimum requirement of national defense
construction and national security, it should spend at least two to three
percentage points of its GDP on national defense.
From 1992 to 2002, China's expenditure on national defense only took up
1.6 to 1.62 percentage points of its GDP. Among the seven big countries
with over 3 million square kilometers of land area in the world, China's
expense on national defense is considered relatively low.
In the interview with Hu Angang, he indicated that China's national
defense will be greatly reinforced and its goal of strengthening military
power with science and technology will be realized, if China can
gradually increase its proportion of GDP spending on national defense to
a reasonable and appropriate rate.
China can increase its proportion of GDP spending on national defense in
two steps: first, raise the current ratio from 1.6 to 2% and second, make
it reach 2.5%. As far as China is concerned, such a ratio would be
basically appropriate but it would be regarded as moderate or low based
on an international standard.
This economist said that China's economy has maintained rapid growth
since 1996, and its proportion of fiscal revenue as well as total
government revenue in relation to its GDP has clearly gone up.
He added that China possesses the conditions and is now capable of
offering necessary and timely compensation to the army for its
contribution in the past 20 years to protect the overall situation of
national economy construction.
It is necessary and possible for China to spend more on national defense
to fortify national defense construction and accelerate modernization of
its national defense. This is not only in tune with China's core national
interests but also a boost to economic growth.
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