Threat to world security just decreased defense spending relative to GDP

[Genesis]

For all that's said about China being the threat, no transparency, and aggressive military expansion, Iooked at the numbers carefully and this is what came up.

Using purely Chinese numbers, I mean in yuan, which makes sense since foreign purchases has been negligible more or less these past few years, and most weapons are developed, made and used domestically.


Last year Chinese GDP was 56.9 Trillion Yuan, the spending announced was 800 Billion Yuan. Now if you know how to do simple math you would know the number is 1.4% of the GDP, down from the previous ~2%.


Now let's put this in perspective. I won't say US, because they are in a war, and thus expenses must account for those too. Also don't mention "fake" budget, Americans also increase budget here and there through out the year, so in the end, it's not their announced budget anyways.


This 1.4% is incredibly low compared to other countries, so the question to me isn't why is China spending on defense, but why are all of you spending so much!?


But of course this is never the news story is it.....It's not sexy.

 

[Chinese-Dragon]

It's true that China's defence spending as a percentage of GDP has gone down. But more important I think, is to compare the Defence budget to the Government budget.

Since the Government does not have the entire GDP to spend. The Government budget is what matters.

And China spends less than 5% of the Government budget on Defence. Which is very low, less than pretty much every other major country.

I often wish we would spend more, however the Chinese government has a long-term game plan. It's true that military might depends on economic might, and once our GDP doubles again (as it has done every 4 years previously), we will suddenly have an enormous amount to spend, as well as mature weapons platforms to spend it on.

 

[Genesis]

It's true that China's defence spending as a percentage of GDP has gone down. But more important I think, is to compare the Defence budget to the Government budget.

Since the Government does not have the entire GDP to spend. The Government budget is what matters.

And China spends less than 5% of the Government budget on Defence. Which is very low, less than pretty much every other major country.

I often wish we would spend more, however the Chinese government has a long-term game plan. It's true that military might depends on economic might, and once our GDP doubles again (as it has done every 4 years previously), we will suddenly have an enormous amount to spend, as well as mature weapons platforms to spend it on.

in order to increase our national power, public spending is way more important. A poor person spending all their money on a Lambo doesn't make them rich, it makes them ridicules, a rich man buying a M5 and spending the rest on life and business is a respected man.

For as much "human right abuses" and other "crimes," the Chinese leadership's actions are those that reflect of a leadership hell bent on increasing living standards for all.


I think 1.4-2 is a good percentage, the ultimate weapon as proven by the cold war is not weapons, with MAD, conventional weapons matters in more power projection and guarding and increasing interests rather than for self defence.

The ultimate weapon is cultural, economic and scientific leadership, those are the foundation of winning nation. Defense is just the cherry on top.

 

[xunzi]

We are the most peaceful nation on Earth but come knocking on our door, we are going to pop their head.