At the second session of the National People's Congress on March 4, 2024, Lou Qinjian spoke like thunder. The reporter's questions were sharp and direct, and the focus of concern was on changes in China's defense budget. Last year, the year-on-year increase was 72%, up to 156 trillion yuan, this figure is really jaw-dropping.
Spokesman Lou did not hesitate to respond that the steady growth of defense spending in recent years is aimed at safeguarding national sovereignty, security, and development interests, adapting to the needs of military reform with Chinese characteristics, and at the same time better fulfilling the international responsibilities and obligations of major countries. This makes people wonder how China can balance the steady growth of defense spending and promote the simultaneous improvement of national defense and economic strength while promoting healthy economic and social development.
However, Lou did not settle for simple numbers, emphasizing China's relative humility in defense spending. Compared with the United States and other major military powers, China has always maintained a low level in terms of its share of GDP, its proportion of national fiscal expenditure, and its per capita national defense expenditure and military personnel's per capita national defense expenditure. Senior Colonel Wu Qian's view is also supported by this, and China's relatively low defense spending is by no means an exaggeration.
The West, however, is restless, and the hype about China's defense budget is heating up again. They claim that China's military spending growth is a source of regional tensions that could lead to situations such as an arms race. However, Lou's spokesman hit the nail on the head when he pointed out that this is pure nonsense. He used the data of the past decade to clearly show that the growth rate of China's defense budget has been declining year by year. Moreover, the ratio of medium and ** fees to GDP has been below 15%, which is far lower than the average of 2% of GDP for defense budgets in the world. This statistic also proves China's full sincerity and determination in safeguarding regional and world peace.
Regarding the proportion of military spending by the United States and other countries, the data of the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute in Sweden is even more incisive. The United States, India, the United Kingdom and other countries all spend far more than 2% of GDP on their military, while China still has room for improvement. This makes one wonder whether China's defense spending has been unreasonably exaggerated and whether it really poses a threat to regional peace.
As for the specific purpose of the national defense budget, spokesman Lou made it clear that it mainly includes improving the treatment of officers and soldiers, enhancing combat effectiveness, developing and purchasing military equipment, and strengthening military exercises and training. He mentioned a key point: the Chinese People's Liberation Army has more than 2 million trained active-duty soldiers. This makes logistics and training expenses for combat units a major component of defense spending. Maintaining the level of combat readiness and ensuring that troops are raised for a thousand days and used for a while is an urgent need for national defense expenditure.
Further, spokesman Lou mentioned the cost of military modernization, for example, the cost of the J-10 flight per hour is not less than 300,000 yuan, and the J-20 is as high as 600 million yuan per aircraft. And that's just the tip of the iceberg, and the Navy's equipment is staggeringly expensive. These figures truly show China's efforts in military modernization, and also give the outside world a deeper understanding of the rationality of China's defense budget.
Finally, Spokesperson Lou once again stressed that no matter how much is invested in the national defense budget, China will unswervingly follow the path of peaceful development. This is not only a commitment to the world, but also a positive contribution to regional and global peace. China's restraint and determination have made it the backbone of peace in the international arena. Let us hope that China will continue to contribute more to building a community with a shared future for mankind in a peaceful manner in the future.