The Chinese government has shown sincerity and transparency in
responding to international concern with its detailed explanation
of defense expenditure, a military expert said in Beijing
Friday.
In a defense white paper released Friday, the government
detailed the composition of defense expenditure, the increase of
the expenditure, and the reasons for the increase.
"We believe that the white paper will give the international
community a relatively objective and comprehensive picture of the
increase of China's national defense expenditure," said Zhang
Bangdong, director of the Foreign Affairs Office of the Ministry of
National Defense.
"The increase in national defense expenditure is reasonable,
necessary and open and there are no secrets or attempts at
concealment," Zhang said.
"It has shown the government's utmost sincerity in detailing the
expenditure of China's national defense, an issue of high concern
among the international community, with high transparency, " Zhang
Jing'en, a military expert said.
Defense expenditure in 2004 was 220 billion yuan, an annual
growth of 15.31 percent, rising 12.5 percent to 247.49 billion yuan
in 2005, and the budget for 2006 was 283.83 billion yuan (US$35.5
billion).
"China saw a rise in defense expenditure after it moved from
low-input for self-preservation to serving the country's overall
economic development," Zhang said.
"However, China's annual defense expenditure as a proportion of
GDP and of the state financial expenditure has decreased and both
the total amount and per-serviceman share of defense expenditure is
low compared with developed countries," Zhang said.
According to the white paper on China's National Defense issued
Friday, in 2005, defense expenditure equaled 6.19 percent of that
of the United States, 52.95 percent of the United Kingdom's, 71.45
percent of France's and 67.52 percent of Japan's. China's spending
per serviceman averaged 107,607 yuan, amounting to 3.74 percent of
that of the United States and 7.07 percent of that of Japan.
Spending mainly comprises expenses for personnel, training and
maintenance, and equipment, the paper says.
The increase in spending was primarily for purposes such as
raising salaries and allowances of military personnel and improving
living conditions, increasing investment in weapons and equipment
and infrastructure, training, compensation for price rises, and
increasing expenses for international cooperation in
non-traditional security fields, it adds.
"It's meaningless to say just that defense expenditure has
increased," Zhang said. "The important aspect is what the increase
is used for, military expansion or national defense."
Improving the living conditions of military personnel was the
major use of the increased expenditure, military expert Wang
Erliang said.
"The facts prove that China's increased defense expenditure is
mainly for defense and army development," military expert Yao
Yunzhu said.
China strongly opposes hegemony and military expansion, and
would pose no threat to other countries, Yao said.
(Xinhua News Agency December 30, 2006)