Military expenditure fully justified

China needs to defend its overseas interests and respond to rising challenges

Earlier this month, Beijing announced plans to raise its defense budget for this year by 12.2 percent to 808 billion yuan ($132 billion, 95 billion euros), the highest growth rate since 2011, prompting some to criticize China's rightful move to strengthen its national defense.

The country not only needs to better defend its growing interests overseas but also to effectively respond to rising security challenges, which fully justify the military expenditure.

Hours after China's announcement, Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga told reporters that China's lack of transparency on spending "has become a matter of concern for the international community, including Japan". The United States Pacific Commander Admiral Samuel Locklear even went further, accusing Beijing of complicating the security environment. He cited China's "ambiguous" territorial claims in the South China Sea and its establishment of an air defense identification zone over East China Sea.

These accusations are both groundless and misleading.

Last year, China issued its eighth defense white paper in 15 years, talking at length about its new security concept and the diversified deployment of its armed forces. It also provides a considerable amount of information made public for the first time.

Since last year, the People's Liberation Army has announced well ahead of time the testing of new military equipment as well as military exercises. It has been conducting regular exchanges with militaries in other countries and making the largest personnel contribution to UN peacekeeping missions among the UN permanent members.

All these are indisputable proof that China is striving for greater military transparency and those who cite lack of transparency may only want to justify their own countries' military buildup.

As to the US accusation that China is complicating the security environment, a Xinhua commentary rightfully pointed out earlier this month that the real menace to regional security is, among others, the mounting assertiveness of some South China Sea claimants emboldened by the US' so-called re-balancing to the Asia-Pacific and the resurgence of Japanese radical nationalism. It is Washington and Tokyo, instead of Beijing, that should explain to the world their military postures and intentions.

Apparently, countries like the US and Japan need a more objective and impartial pair of lens when they try to scrutinize China's military spending. The increase of China's military spending in recent years has been kept at a moderate and reasonable pace in line with its practical needs of security and development interests. It is commensurate with its status as a responsible world power capable of defending its land and people as well as fulfilling its commitment to world peace and stability.

Military expenditure in China is still much lower than those of major foreign powers both in proportion to GDP and in per capita terms. Although China boasts a territory some 26 times as large as Japan's and a population nine times more, its per-capita spending on national defense represents only a fifth of Japan's.

The figure is also a fraction of the $633 billion defense budget for 2014 approved by the US, the global leader in military spending. There is still a long way to go before China's military capabilities become commensurate with its growing security needs, let alone catching up with the world's military powerhouses.

With China's economic strength and its interaction with the rest of the world growing, its overseas interests have been expanding, too. The building of a blue-water navy is inevitable for China to better defend its interests overseas.

The Chinese navy sent five military vessels to the sea area where Malaysia Airlines flight MH 370 lost contact on the morning of March 8 with 227 passengers, including 154 Chinese and 12 Malaysian flight crew, on board. This is unprecedented in the history of the Chinese navy.

Apart from non-combat missions like this, China's defense forces have to respond to rising maritime security tensions, territorial disputes and terror threats. Experience indicates China's air and maritime forces lack adequate and high-performance equipment, which constrains their capability to safeguard the country's rights and interests in the air or on the sea. The situation has become more critical after the recent establishment of an air defense identification zone over the East China Sea.

Beijing has repeatedly stated over the years that it is committed to a path of peaceful development and its defense policy is defensive in nature. It has also vowed to shoulder more international responsibilities. As Fu Ying, spokeswoman for the annual session of the National People's Congress, pointed out earlier this month: "Peace can only be maintained by strength."

The author is a senior writer with China Daily. Contact the writer at wanghui@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily Africa Weekly 03/14/2014 page19)