China cites threats as defence spending rises

[Neo]

China cites threats as defence spending rises​

* Beijing urges Obama administration to improve defence ties​

BEIJING: China fears containment abroad and separatist groups at home, a defence policy paper said on Tuesday, justifying a drive to increase military spending and push the People’s Liberation Army into the high-tech era.

China’s security has been improving as its economy grows and the PLA embraces modernisation, the defence “white paper” said, but pro-independence forces in Taiwan, Tibet and the energy-rich western region of Xinjiang still “pose threats to China’s unity and security”. “On this issue, there can be no compromise and no concessions,” Defence Ministry chief spokesman Hu Changming said at a news conference to launch the document.

China has pointed to its recent deployment of navy ships to police pirate-troubled seas off Africa as a sign of benign military intentions. But China’s increased spending on arms has been criticised as opaque by other countries, including the United States and Japan. Beijing says its defence budget is purely for defensive purposes and is quite open, and it notes its budget is much smaller than the Pentagon’s.

“China is faced with the superiority of developed countries economically, scientifically and technologically, as well as militarily,” the 95-page white paper said. “It also faces strategic manoeuvres and containment from the outside while having to face disruption and sabotage by separatist and hostile forces from the inside.” The US Defence Department budget for fiscal 2009 is $515 billion, a 7.5 percent rise on the previous year. That number does not include separate multi-billion dollar outlays for Iraq and Afghanistan and some spending on nuclear weapons.

China’s defence budget for 2009 has not been released. In 2008, the government said it would spend 418 billion yuan ($61 billion) on defence, up 17.6 percent on 2007. A PLA officer said more development was needed. “Our military’s general levels of armaments have made big strides,” Fan Jianjun of the PLA armaments department told the news conference. “But there’s still quite a large gap with the levels of the world’s developed countries, and we still cannot fully adjust to the needs of protecting national security and unity and better fulfilling our international duties.”

While it said relations with Taiwan had “taken a significantly positive turn”, the paper denounced US arms sales to the island as “causing serious harm to Sino-US relations as well as peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait”. Hu said China and Taiwan had “entered a period of peaceful development” and called for improved military ties with the United States under Barack Obama. But he deflected a question on whether China had reduced the number of missiles aimed at Taiwan. “Our country’s military deployments are based on national security interests, the imperatives of our fundamental interests as a nation and our core national interests,” Hu said. China said its military modernisation would focus on upgrading technology to maintain a “lean and effective deterrent force”, a programme it saw being more or less finished by the middle of the century.

Ties under Obama: Hu said China would welcome better military ties with the United States after Barack Obama enters the White House, saying it was up to the Pentagon to lift obstacles to exchanges. “In this new period, we hope that China and the United States will strive together to create favourable conditions to promote the constant improvement and development of ties between our militaries,” Hu said. “With ties between the two militaries facing hardships, we ask the US Defence Department to remove obstacles to these ties and take effective actions to create conditions for the healthy development of these ties.” reuters

 

[shchinese]

I would urge my government to largely increase the defense budget in the coming NPC this March.

1. we need at least two aircraft carrier groups to counter the threats from both india and the west.

2. we need to keep upgrading our aging air force fighters and bombs. there currently only about less than 500 third generation fighters (J-10/Su-27/J-11B/Su-30) in service, just not acceptable in the current security climate. the number of our modern fighters should be more than the numver of Air to Air missiles india can ever afford to have.

3. we need to invest more in R&D, currently we still could not build large transport aircraft, the engines used in most of aircraft.....keep spending on the cutting edge stuff is always the rule No.1.

last but not least, our fine servicemen deserve to have another round of pay rise to share the development of our economy.

 

[gpit]

...
1. we need at least two aircraft carrier groups to counter the threats from both india and the west.

AC is not that crucial as far as Taiwan is concerned. It may play some role in solving South China Sea problems. IMHO, in a near future, AC may well become a "floating coffin" as technologies specifically targeting AC move forward really fast.

I don’t think China needs AC to balance India’s power: China possesses enormous political and geographical advantage against India; especially the latter which can’t be altered easily.

2. we need to keep upgrading our aging air force fighters and bombs. there currently only about less than 500 third generation fighters (J-10/Su-27/J-11B/Su-30) in service, just not acceptable in the current security climate. the number of our modern fighters should be more than the numver of Air to Air missiles india can ever afford to have.

China really needs some 2000-5000 of these stuff. The problem is money.

3. we need to invest more in R&D, currently we still could not build large transport aircraft, the engines used in most of aircraft.....keep spending on the cutting edge stuff is always the rule No.1.

Right.

China has rightly been increasing the investment in this area. But China really needs to eradicate thoroughly those pseudo professors, fake experts (叫兽，砖家 ) and professional cheaters. Though some people are really good, some others can really make people shake head. Sorry to say that.

 

[shchinese]

AC is not that crucial as far as Taiwan is concerned. It may play some role in solving South China Sea problems. IMHO, in a near future, AC may well become a "floating coffin" as technologies specifically targeting AC move forward really fast.

No, it is not for any possible conflict with the US. it is not in the interest of China to have any real conflict with the US in the decades to come.

With the current warmed relationship with Taiwan, we don't need any more military forces to be deployed there. actually sending any aircraft group to the region would largely trigger some misunderstanding to the people of Taiwan. We shouldn't do that.

The real issue is we need to have our fighters/bombs/airborne warning aircrafts to fly over the india ocean. if you just check, more than half of our imported oil need to be transported through the india ocean. we need to build the aircraft carriers, warships to let our india friends understand that india ocean is not the india's ocean. to achieve that, make their PM's office covered in the operational ranges of our fighters is the best way to ensure such security.

I don’t think China needs AC to balance India’s power: China possesses enormous political and geographical advantage against India; especially the latter which can’t be altered easily.

I agree, when a few additional aircraft carrier groups won't change the overall balance of powers in the region, they can largely decrease the risks facing our servicemen. with the help of such AC groups, what we can do is to largely reduce the casualties when the conflicts with india do come.

secondly, when having those AC groups in service, we can drag india into such an arm race which is totally in favor our economic status. deteriorate india is what we much do for our kids and grandkids.

China really needs some 2000-5000 of these stuff. The problem is money.

indeed. so Chinese should all work harder. with the current development rate, we can easily afford that in just 10 years. we do have such period of time to get prepared, as our WS-2D rocket systems are now looking after india's capital making sure our trouble maker won't invade its neighbors.

China has rightly been increasing the investment in this area. But China really needs to eradicate thoroughly those pseudo professors, fake experts (叫兽，砖家 ) and professional cheaters. Though some people are really good, some others can really make people shake head. Sorry to say that.

I agree, Zhaozhong Zhang is the best example. however the truth is we do have a lot of such stupid people in our country, but the good news is india has far more such people.

when they use the term "incredible india" when their people are dying on average of 64, it has been made crystal clear by themselves.

 

[shchinese]

btw, in general I don't want to see the military conflict with india where soldiers from both side need to die...the problem is in the regime of india not their servicemen and women.

my tax money should be better spent on development better guided weapons that can eliminate the regime of india and its members without too much damage to their people, soldiers and culture.

 

[Jihad]

Why are the West and the U.S. whining over China's increasing defence budget?
The U.S. military expenditures are more then that of the strongest 11 or 13 European nations combined.
China has the right to defend her interests, just as the U.S. and the west does that.
The U.S. is afraid China is becoming more and more powerful, but it's understandable, the American dominance can not last forever. they will meet their equals in China, and when that fully happens, I will be interested in how the world policies and relations will be by that time.