China's defence spending is actually DOUBLE.

[FreekiN]

China hiding military build-up: WikiLeaks

Australia's intelligence agencies believe China is hiding the extent of a massive military build-up that goes beyond national defence and threatens regional stability, the latest WikiLeaks cables show.

A strategic assessment by the agencies found that China's military spending for 2006 was $90 billion - double the $45 billion budget publicly announced by Beijing, Fairfax newspapers report.

"China's longer-term agenda is to develop 'comprehensive national power', including a strong military, that is in keeping with its view of itself as a great power," a copy of the secret assessment provided by Foreign Affairs officials to the US embassy in Canberra said.

"We agree that the trend of China's military modernisation is beyond the scope of what would be required for a conflict over Taiwan.

"Arguably China already poses a credible threat to modern militaries operating in the region and will present an even more formidable challenge as its modernisation continues."

The 2006 Australian intelligence assessment was contained in a US embassy cable obtained by WikiLeaks and provided to Fairfax newspapers.

The assessment also warned that factors including China's rising nationalism and difficulties with Japan meant that "miscalculations and minor events could quickly escalate".

- AAP​

 

[FreekiN]

But this is still nothing compared to the united states

Budget Breakdown for 2011 for the United States of America

Defense-related expenditure↓ 2011 Budget request & Mandatory spending[1][17]↓ Calculation[6][18]↓
DOD spending $721.3 billion Base budget + "Overseas Contingency Operations"
FBI counter-terrorism $2.7 billion At least one-third FBI budget.
International Affairs $10.1–$54.2 billion At minimum, foreign arms sales. At most, entire State budget
Energy Department, defense-related $20.9 billion
Veterans Affairs $66.2 billion
Homeland Security $54.7 billion
NASA, satellites $3.4–$8.5 billion Between 20% and 50% of NASA's total budget
Veterans pensions $58.4 billion
Other defense-related mandatory spending $7.5 billion
Interest on debt incurred in past wars $114.8–$454.2 billion Between 23% and 91% of total interest
Total Spending $1.060–$1.449 trillion

 

[applesauce]

the DoD has been estimating that china spends 2x what it says for years, nothing new here.

 

[webber]

all latest system cost a third in China at most

 

[ZhengHe]

No one is really sure if that is true or not. Officially it is announced at 46 billion or something but OK let's say it is double then the US military budget would still be 800% more!!!

Funny how there is so much attention around Chinese military budget when it is not even a fraction of what the US spends.

And China has a good reason to spend this money when warmongering US is trying so hard to cause disruption and civil unrest in China- Tibet & Xinjiang are two of the most recent attempts by the US to stir up conflict.

Seriously though, China can spend a little more on their military- with the US lurking around theres no say to when you might need that extra shotgun to blow a rabid dog's head off.

 

[Tigershark]

The US debt is finally catching up to them and they are having to cut military budget. This is an unparalleled opportunity for china to catch up to and exceed US military power.

 

[AerospaceEngineer]

Well, do the math.

1. China's current GDP is 5.9 trillion.

2. If China spend 3% of its GDP like Russia india does, that translate to 177 billion dollars per year.

3. Suppose China spends 3.5% of its GDP which is most likely the case, because for all these yars China has be bullied so many times by its neighbors and the west. That translate to about 200 billion USD per year.

The US has no rights of whinning about it because the US spends 4.5% of its GDP on defense even with its enconomy in recession. india also spends about 3.5% of its GPD, so it makes perfect sense that China spends 3.5% after all China is communist which in nature should be more aggressive than the democracy countris. Right?