China reveals defense expenditure in last 30 years

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2009-01-20 21:47

BEIJING -- China revealed its defense expenditure over the past 30 years for the first time in a white paper here Tuesday, as an effort to win further international trust through increased transparency.

In this Nov. 4, 2008 file photo, Chinese military personnel walk past two PLA Airforce J-10 fighters on the opening day of China Airshow 2008 in Zhuhai, south China's Guangdong province. China revealed its defense expenditure figures over the past 30 years for the first time in a white paper here Tuesday, considered an effort to win further international trust through increased transparency. [Agencies]

"Comparing the figures in the past three decades, people will have a clear picture that the country maintained a balance between military expenditure and national economic strength," said Wen Bing, a researcher of Beijing-based Academy of Military Sciences (AMS).

Since 1986, the ratio between China's defense expenditure and gross domestic product (GDP) had never exceeded 2 percent, according to the white paper on China's National Defense in 2008, issued by the Information Office of the State Council.

In 2007, the same ratio of the United States was 4.5 percent. It was 2.7 in Britain and 2.57 in Russia.

In addition, the ratio between the defense expenditure and the central government expenditure had remained below 10 percent since 1985, except 1992.

"Although the numerical figure of expense expenditure rose in the past 30 years, it has taken up an appropriate part of the whole expenditure," Wen said.

The military expense rose from 16.78 billion yuan (US$2.43 billionat the current exchange rate) in 1978 to 355.49 billion yuan (US$51.52 billion) in 2007.

"I believe through these figures the world will have a better understanding on China's defense policy," Wen said.

In the white paper, the country clearly stated that it will stick to a defensive national defense policy.

There are several other figures that were released by the white paper for the first time.

One of them was that the militia members shrank to 8 million now from 10 million in 2006.

The white paper also first introduced the framework of China's border police force. It was made up of 30 provincial police units, 110 city-level units, 310 county-level units, 20 marine units, 207 land border checkpoints and 1,691 township-level stations.

"The white paper introduced to the rest of the world China's perspective of national defense development. This has showed its sincerity to improve mutual trust and reduce concerns of the international society," said Chen Zhou, another AMS researcher.