China’s military budget is set to increase again, the spokesperson for its rubber-stamping parliament has said, before a week-long political meeting expected to make big changes to China’s system of governance and increase measures to combat international sanctions.
The spokesperson for the National People’s Congress, China’s legislative body, addressed the media on the eve of its annual meeting to outline the week’s agenda, including changes to the constitution and the legal sector, and endorsing new appointments to senior roles.
Wang Chao said defence budget rises as a proportion of GDP had been moderate and below global averages. Last year’s 1.45tn yuan (£190bn) budget was a rise of 7.1% and followed a rise of 6.8% in 2021 and 6.6% in 2020.
Wang did not say by how much the budget would increase, but said it was “appropriate and reasonable” and was needed for China to meet complex security challenges and to “fulfil its responsibilities as a major country”.
“The modernisation of China’s military will not pose a threat to any country,” Wang said. “On the contrary, it will only be a positive force for safeguarding regional stability and world peace.”
Under Xi Jinping’s leadership, China has continued to significantly expand and overhaul its military. However, information about actual spending compared with budget announcements remains opaque, with the US defence department estimating it could be 1.1 to 2 times higher.
China’s military spending is far below that of the US. But it has the world’s largest infantry and biggest navy, and continues to build its stockpile of missiles, warships, submarines and planes including nuclear-capable bombers and stealth fighters.
One of the most significant recent shows of force from China occurred in August, when major live fire drills were staged around the main island of Taiwan in retaliation for a visit to Taipei by the then US speaker, Nancy Pelosi.
Under the leadership of Xi China’s military has been tasked with readying for potential war, probably over Taiwan, which Xi says is a province of China that must be “reunified”, despite overwhelming opposition from its government and people.
Pelosi’s visit was cited on Saturday in the opening address by the chair of the political consultative conference (CPPCC), which holds its annual meeting concurrently with the NPC, at an event known as the “two sessions”.
The chair, Wang Yang, who is also a former Chinese vice-premier, praised China’s “fighting spirit” in response to foreign sanctions against the government, and to Pelosi’s visit.
The increasingly aggressive posturing and military activity towards Taiwan, as well as crackdowns in Hong Kong and Xinjiang, and support for Russia in its Ukraine invasion, have attracted international criticism and sanctions.
At the NPC press conference, Wang Chao decried foreign sanctions against China as “bullying acts” and said China had introduced regulation and laws to counter such efforts, and was working on more.
