Defense spending the target

Most countries have a military budget, China's is neither the largest nor the fastest growing compared with other nations

Each year when China's top legislature and advisory body meet for their annual sessions in Beijing and announce the country's military budget, the Western media are guaranteed to peddle stories about the "China threat" with scare mongering headlines.

They know only too well, of course, that most countries in the world have a military budget, and the China's is neither the largest nor the fastest growing. In terms of size, the US military budget for 2012-2013 is $662 billion, compared to China's $106 billion. In terms of growth, India's budget for 2012-2013 is 17 per cent more than the previous one, while China will see a rise of merely 11.2 per cent. Why does no one point a finger at the United States or India as a military threat?