According to CNN, Red China has again increased its annual military budget by around 10% even as its economy slows. The budget now totals $US144.2 billion.
Premier Li Keqiang told the National People’s Congress held in the Great Hall of the People in Tiananmen Square “Building a solid national defense and strong armed forces is fundamental to safeguarding China’s sovereignty.”
The increased spending comes amid unease among China’s neighbors about the pursuit of its territorial claims in the South China Sea and East China Sea.
Paul Burton, Asia Pacific director at IHS Aerospace, Defence & Security, estimates that actual spending is 35% higher than the announced budget.
“China’s expanding strategic reach and extensive modernization requirements will continue to require significant investment over the next decade,” Burton said.
Alexander Neill, a senior fellow at the International Institute of Strategic Studies in Singapore says China is likely to prioritize spending on its naval power “A growing chunk of budget is going toward China’s navy, particularly its submarine force and its seaborne nuclear deterrent,” he said.
China is busy expanding its economic and political influence in the Pacific too, investing heavily in development projects and land and assets purchase throughout island regions and in NZ and Australia.
TrueblueNZ 
3 responses to “Communist China increases military spending”
Having read the “Rise & fall of the Third Reich”, “The wilderness Years”, & dozens probably of that ilk, I cannot but feel really concerned for the future. Disturbing to see “us” featuring in the last paragraph.
In the past, my grandparents lived through serious & grim days when the sky collapsed. I tend to feel that sometime in future, serious & grim days & awful challenges await us, or at least for my children.
The happy & carefree life that we enjoy is not a given, is not guaranteed, & is coveted by others.
Uh………….. whats chinese for Lebensraum ?
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Its funny how many people today (like myself) have this expectation that the status quo cannot go on. Who knows, maybe we’re suffering some kind of mild paranoia and maybe it can, but there are plenty of signs suggesting otherwise. You don’t have to look very hard to find them.
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You don’t have to look very hard but not in the mainstream media.
They are still busy withe the propaganda, the everything is fine just fine, nothing to see here move along , the Government knows best
The reality is that the World is a very messed up place and getting worse not better.
At some stage the Ponzie scheme that is our world financial markets will collapse.
When the music stops there will not be enough chairs.
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