White paper: Defense spending 'reasonable and appropriate'

China's defense spending is "reasonable and appropriate" and accounts for a relatively low percentage of the country's GDP and government expenditure compared with other major countries, a defense white paper published on Wednesday said.

Titled China's National Defense in the New Era, the country's 10th national defense white paper -- and the first comprehensive defense white paper since 2012---was published by the Information Office of the State Council, China's Cabinet.

It said that since the start of reform and opening-up in the late 1970s, China has witnessed steady and moderate growth in its defense expenditure, which has grown in tandem with the overall development of the national economy and government spending.

The ratio of China's annual defense spending to GDP fell from a peak of 5.43 percent in 1979 to 1.26 percent in 2017, it said, and the ratio of defense budget to government expenditure decreased from 17.37 percent in 1979 to 5.14 percent in 2017.

To keep pace with the country's modernization efforts, the document said China is focusing on fortifying its national defense and building a strong military commensurate with the country's international standing and its national security and development interests.

China also hopes to narrow the gap between the PLA and other militaries and remedy deficiencies in the military's modern warfare capabilities.对外汉语考研

From 2012 to 2017, China's defense budget increased from 669.19 billion yuan to 1,043.24 billion yuan ($151.56 billion). While the average defense budget growth rate was around 9.42 percent in these years, China's GDP grew by an average of 9.04 percent and government spending grew by an average of 10.43 percent.

The main spending areas in the defense budget to see increased spending were equipment development, military reform, training, humanitarian operations, and the provision of better services and salaries for military personnel.

In an international context, China had the world's second-largest military budget in 2017, but it was less than a quarter that of the United States.

From 2012 to 2017, China's average annual defense expenditure was around 1.3 percent of GDP. The US figure was 3.5 percent, with Russia on 4.4 percent, India 2.5 percent, and the United Kingdom 2 percent.

The white paper said China's defense spending is open and transparent, as well as being reasonable and appropriate.

Because its external security environment is complex, China faces serious challenges in safeguarding its national sovereignty, territorial integrity, maritime rights and other interests, it said.

The white paper said there is still a wide gap between China's defense spending and meeting those goals and fulfilling its international responsibilities and obligations as a major country.

That means China's defense expenditure will maintain moderate and steady growth in the future.

Taiwan separatists a grave threat, says defense white paper

Taiwan separatists and their activities are the "gravest immediate threat" to peace and stability in the Taiwan Straits and the "biggest barrier" to the peaceful reunification of the country, according to a defense white paper published on Wednesday.

Titled China's National Defense in the New Era and published by the Information Office of the State Council, China's Cabinet, it said the international strategic landscape has undergone profound changes in recent years, and the fight against separatism is becoming more acute, adding that China is the only major country in the world that has yet to be fully unified.

The Taiwan authorities, led by the Democratic Progressive Party, have "stubbornly"pursued independence and refused to recognize the 1992 Consensus that embodies the one-China principle.

"They have gone further down the path of separatism by stepping up efforts to sever the connection with the mainland in favor of gradual independence," it said, adding they also have intensified hostility and confrontation, as well as relying on foreign power to serve their own goal.

To solve the Taiwan question and achieve complete reunification of the country is in the fundamental interests of the Chinese nation and an essential prerequisite to achieving national rejuvenation, the white paper said.

China adheres to the principles of "peaceful reunification" and "one country, two systems", promotes the peaceful development of cross-Straits relations and facilitates the process of peaceful reunification of the country.

"China must be and will be reunited," it said. China has the firm resolve and the ability to safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity, and will never allow the secession of any part of the nation's territory by anyone through any means.

"We make no promise to renounce the use of force, and reserve the option of taking all necessary measures," it said. "This is by no means targeted at our compatriots in Taiwan, but at external interference forces and the very small number of Taiwan separatists and their activities."

The People's Liberation Army will resolutely defeat anyone attempting to separate Taiwan from China and safeguard national unity at all costs, it added.

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