Every year, at the National People's Congress and the National People's Congress, the issue of the "national defense budget" has attracted much attention. On March 5, the draft budget submitted at the second session of the 14th National People's Congress showed that the national financial arrangement for 2024 has a national defense expenditure budget of 16,655400 million yuan, an increase of 72%, the same as in 2023.
Zhang Junshe, a military expert, told a reporter from Beijing that the increase in this year's national defense budget is the same as last year, and the increase is not much. Since 2016, China's defense spending has maintained single-digit growth for nine consecutive years, and compared with the increase in defense budgets of many countries, China's increase is relatively reasonable, moderate and restrained. The United States, Japan, India, and other countries have maintained double-digit growth in defense spending in recent years.
Japan's defense budget for fiscal year 2024, which was adopted at the end of 2023, is 79,496 trillion yen, an increase of 165%, an increase for 11 consecutive years. India's budget plan for the 2023-2024 fiscal year announced in early 2023 has a defence budget of $5Rs 94 trillion, an increase of 13 per cent.
According to public data, from 2016 to 2023, China's defense budget will increase by2%。Prior to 2016, China's defense budget had grown by double digits for several consecutive years.
On March 4, Lou Qinjian, spokesman for the Second Session of the 14th National People's Congress, said at a press conference that compared with the United States and other military powers, China's national defense expenditure has always been relatively low in terms of the proportion of gross domestic product, the proportion of national fiscal expenditure, and the per capita national defense expenditure and per capita military defense expenditure.
In the work report of this year's National People's Congress and the National People's Congress, it was mentioned that we should comprehensively strengthen military training and preparation for war, make overall plans to promote preparations for military struggle, do a good job in actual combat military training, and firmly defend national sovereignty, security, and development interests. Among them, the "overall promotion of preparations for military struggle" is particularly eye-catching.
Today's world is facing major changes unseen in a century, with local wars and armed conflicts one after another. The international security situation facing China is rather complex and severe, and it is also facing many problems in terms of land borders and maritime rights and interests. With the instigation and support of the United States and other foreign forces, the activities of the forces are also rampant, seriously threatening the stability of the Taiwan Strait. Zhang Junshe said that China's current situation of coexistence of strategic opportunities, risks and challenges requires us to strengthen national defense and army building with high standards and build a strong people's army, so as to resolutely defend the country's sovereignty, security, and development interests, and at the same time effectively fulfill the international responsibilities and obligations assumed by a major country and safeguard world peace.
Lou Qinjian said at the press conference that in recent years, in order to safeguard national sovereignty, security and development interests, adapt to the needs of military reform with Chinese characteristics, and better fulfill the international responsibilities and obligations of major countries, China has maintained a reasonable and stable growth in defense spending while promoting sustained and healthy economic and social development, and promoted the simultaneous improvement of national defense strength and economic strength.
The squadron is a division of peace, justice, and civilization, how to understand the relationship between the overall promotion of preparations for military struggle and the peace attribute of the squadron? Zhang Junshe pointed out that from the immediate point of view, the growth of China's defense spending has remained in single digits, and the absolute value is only about a quarter of that of the United States, which shows that China has no intention of engaging in an arms race with other countries, and also further shows that China pursues a defensive national defense policy and a military strategy of active defense.
History can prove that the enhancement of the squadron's capability will not only not pose a threat to any country, but will also be conducive to maintaining world peace and stability. Zhang Junshe said: Since the founding of the People's Republic of China, China has never taken the initiative to start a war. In this regard, China's defensive national defense policy and military strategy of active defense are very prominent compared to the United States and other countries. But on the other hand, in the face of the current complex and severe environment, it is necessary for us to build a strong national defense force. "Only when we can fight can we stop war." Only with a strong national defense force can we contain war and deter petty people with bad intentions.
Zhang Junshe said that in the more than 100 years from the Opium War in 1840 to the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949, China was invaded by Western powers many times, especially by Western countries from the sea more than 470 times. Therefore, at present, the primary purpose of China in strengthening its own national defense strength and building a powerful army is to better safeguard the country's sovereignty and security and prevent the recurrence of historical tragedies.