TAIPEI—According to Beijing’s 2007 budget recently released, Chinese national defense spending will increase by 17.8 percent in the upcoming year. “China’s intent is to become the dominant global superpower,” said Joseph Wu, chairman of the cabinet-level Mainland Affairs Council. Recent advances in Chinese military technologies, including space exploration, give strong evidence to continuing high levels of military spending by Beijing.
When interviewed by the Central News Agency, Wu noted that China’s defense budget has been increasing by more than ten percent each year since 1993. “The most recent military spending increases are part of a long-term trend. The increases are impossible to slow down and will continue year after year,” said Wu.
Wu added that China has no apparent or potential threats from its’ neighboring states. “The world should be concerned about such a rapid build-up of China’s military budget,” said Wu.
Wu gave an example. China has already deployed more than 1,000 short-range missiles. It is rapidly developing middle and long range ballistic and cruse missile capabilities. “Beijing’s obvious intention is to develop missile superiority over its immediate neighbors including Taiwan,” said Wu.
China has recently completed the construction of more than fifty modern submarines. Five of the newly built subs are nuclear powered. It also owns the latest submarines with capabilities to launch intercontinental ballistic missile. These clearly demonstrate China’s plan to establish a global military presence.
Wu suggests that China’s recent military exercises in the Indian Ocean reveal its superpower intentions. Alarmingly, China is also investing heavily in developing space technologies, including the positioning of intelligence satellites and killer weapons around the globe. “China’s recent successful test of an anti-satellite weapon far exceeds China’s foreseeable defense requirements,” said Wu.
Wu said that all peace-loving countries of the world, particularly Taiwan, are threatened by the increasing Chinese investments in military technologies. Wu further suggests that the Chinese military build-up must be condemned.
Wu noted that the recently published Chinese military budget only represents capital expenditures and does not include training and/or future arms procurements. Western military experts estimate that the real budget for the Chinese military may be three times the published figures.
Taiwan’s anti-missile defense system does not meet the current threat posed by China,“ said Wu. ”Taiwan’s antisubmarine capabilities also have much room for improvement.”
Chinese preparations for their “Three War” strategy, namely, Media War, Psychological War and Legal War. Taiwan would be much impacted if people were without a good understanding of the situation.
Jiang Enzhu, spokesman for the fifth session of the Tenth National People’s Congress, announced today that according to the 2007 draft budget submitted by the session, China will increase its military spending by 17.8 percent this year to 350.921 billion yuan (US$ 44.94 billion).
