China's Defense Spending Much Lower Than World's Average: Interview

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Saturday, March 08, 2003

China's Defense Spending Much Lower Than World's Average: Interview

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China's defense expenditure, though having increased gradually in recent years, remained much lower than developed nations, neighbor countries and the world average, said Major General Ding Jiye, chief of the Financial Department of the General Logistic Department of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) on Saturday.

In an interview with Xinhua, the PLA's top financier noted that the current scale of China's defense spending is far from meeting the basic requirements for implementing the country's military strategy and guidelines, strengthening the building of the army, and enhancing the defense capabilities under the present circumstances, especially in the conditions featured by high technologies.

Xiang Huaicheng, minister of finance, said in a budgetary report delivered Thursday at the current First Session of the Tenth National People's Congress (NPC) that in 2003, China will increase its spending by 9.6 percent year-on-year to reach 185.3 billion yuan (about 22.3 billion US dollars).

"In general, China's defense expenditure is still at a fairly low level, barely enough to keep things moving," noted Ding, who is also a deputy of the current NPC session.

According to the major general, China's defense spending for 2003 accounts only for 1.69 percent of the country's total budgetary expenditure, as against 3.2 percent in the United States, 2.7 percent in Britain, 2.5 percent in France, and 3.6 percent in the neighboring India. The world's average stands at three percent, he acknowledged.

Over the past few years, China's defense payment has somewhat been going up along with the fast economic growth, so as to cope with the requirements for military modernization, especially for the army's hi-tech equipment and technology, as well as to improve the living conditions of the troops to keep pace with the raising of people's living standards, Ding said.

Moreover, he told Xinhua that the PLA will strive to use the limited funds still more efficiently, by means of keeping the fine traditions of hard work and thrifty, conducting in-depth financial reform, and further improving financial management. (Xinhua News)

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