At $150bn, China defence budget is four times India's

The budget aims at taking forward the People's Liberation Army's ongoing sweeping military reform. Under President Xi Jinping, the PLA has been pushing for a high-tech force transformation.

NPC spokesperson Fu Ying announced China's military budget, which for the first time will cross $150 billion that is almost four times that of India's outlay.

China's military outlay this year will for the first time cross $150 billion, marking a rise of around seven to eight per cent, which is almost four times that of India's outlay, officials said on Friday.

The defence budget, which will be formally approved by the Chinese Parliament or the National People's Congress (NPC), which opens its annual session on Saturday, will increase by an amount "smaller than last year, but by about seven to eight percent", NPC spokesperson Fu Ying told reporters.

China's budget last year saw a hike of 10.1 per cent, which was around $145 billion.

The rise this year will be more than four times that of India's $38 billion, which was announced earlier during this week's budget, not including the outlay on the pension bill. India's outlay, excluding pensions, have risen by four per cent.

When it comes to the budget, China considers "defence to be top priority, economic development second, and fiscal position third," Fu, who also heads the NPC Foreign Affairs Committee, told reporters.

The budget aims at taking forward the People's Liberation Army's ongoing sweeping military reform. Under President Xi Jinping, the PLA has been pushing for a high-tech force transformation.

In September, Xi announced a demobilisation of three lakh soldiers out of the 2.3 million army. This was followed by sweeping reforms in January that saw centralisation of military commands into five theatres and the setting up of a PLA Rocket Force and a new Strategic Support Force, expected to include expanded cyberwarfare capabilities.

Fu justified the hike amid rising tensions with the US over the South China Sea - she hit out at the US for accusing China of militarising islands and reefs, saying, "My impression is that the US military by creating hype over the issue wants more [defence] appropriation [for its military]."

"Talking of militarisation, if you look at the most advanced aircraft and ships entering and exiting the South China Sea, the majority are from the US," Fu said.

Beijing hits outat US official

A day after Beijing responded warily to United States Admiral Harry Harris calling in New Delhi for an Asian quadrilateral dialogue, the Chinese government slammed the US official for making "irresponsible" remarks and asked Washington to stop its military officials from making "adverse" comments. Speaking in New Delhi, Harris, who heads the US Pacific Command, called up on India, Japan and Australia to step up maritime security cooperation, while apparently hitting out at Beijing, saying that "some countries seek to bully smaller nations through intimidation and coercion." Harris also announced at the Raisina Dialogue that this year's Exercise Malabar, with India and Japan, will take place in the northern Philippine Sea, close to the South China Sea.

China had on Thursday said that moves such as the quadrilateral security dialogue and naval exercises "should not be targeted against a third party", amid rising tensions with the US over the South China Sea dispute. On Friday, Beijing responded more sternly, asking Washington "to put some restraint" on its officials from commenting adversely about China.

"We have noted that some officials of the US military have been saying negative words," Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hong Lei said. "We urge the US government to put some restraint on them and stop them from irresponsible sensationalisation so as to avoid undermining regional peace and stability."

(Source : indiatoday.intoday.in)

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