‘It’s more about modernisation than India threat’
China’s decision to increase its defence outlay by 8.1% has more do with the situation in the South China Sea, the volatile Korean peninsula and modernising its armed forces than the threat perception from India, experts said on Monday.
Beijing announced the increase in military spending for 2018 against the backdrop of a “large reduction” of non-battle personnel and the streamlining of the number of group armies from 18 to 13.
“The 2018 defence budget will be 1.11 trillion yuan (US$175 billion),” said to a statement released before the opening of the first session of the 13th National People’s Congress (NPC).
China’s defence budget is now three times that of India’s and against the backdrop of last year’s military standoff at Doklam or Donglang near the Sikkim border, it raised questions about how much Beijing sees New Delhi as a threat.
Shanghai-based military expert Ni Leixong argued the increase was because of several security threats faced by China.
“It is not surprising that China’s defence budget is more than three times that of India’s. That’s because China’s military threats are several times more than India’s, such as the development of Taiwan independence groups, the South China Sea dispute, the dispute with Japan over Diaoyu Islands and the situation in the Korean Peninsula,” Ni said.
“The increase in China’s defence budget sends a signal of living in peace and avoiding military conflicts with neighbours like India,” Ni added.
Delivering the government work report at the Great Hall of the People, Premier Li Keqiang said China has “basically completed the task of reducing the armed forces by 300,000 troops”.
“We have undertaken major missions involving the protection of maritime rights, countering terrorism and maintaining stability,” Li said.
BEIJING: