China's defense spending

[Shirt_Ninja_13]

I’ve heard, recently, that China’s defense spending has significantly increased over previous years. Does anyone have any facts or figures on this, or any idea why it might be happening, besides?

Thanks!
bamf

[chukhung]

This recent AP article in the Detroit News says

China on Saturday [March 6, 2005] unveiled an 11.6 percent increase in its military budget for 2004.
…
The budget increase for the world’s largest military came amid tensions with rival Taiwan and, despite official promises to focus on fighting rural poverty and improving public health, was even bigger than last year’s.
…
[Chinese Finance Minister Jin Renqing] didn’t give a total for military spending, but said outlays this year would increase by $2.6 billion. Last year’s announced figure was $22.4 billion, though the actual figure is believed higher.
…
The announcement puts China back into double-digit defense increases – a pattern it had adhered to for 13 straight years until last year’s 9.6 percent increase.

[RandomLetters]

Note that due to the way China does its accounting, getting the exact number on their military spending is difficult. The official Chinese figures might list $22.6 billion, but the CIA World Factbook gives an estimate of $60 billion or so.

[Paul_in_Qatar]

Further some parts of the PLA are self-financing (that is to say the People’s Liberation Army has profit-centers). While some parts of the PLA are no very military-looking (ownership of office buildings) others are somewhat military (they own tank factories) and other parts are wholely military in nature.

So does the 11% go to the real estate part or to the military part? Perhaps they are giving up the real estate in exchange for an additional 11% and seeing no real growth? Perhaps getting 11% and keeping the real estate stuff for a real growth of over 11% in the part with teeth?

Lots of complexities here.

The PLA long had a low-tech ethos. They resisted moderization because they were a ‘People’s Army’ which remianed politically pure by growin their own food and like that there. That was nice but you cannot be very poltically effective if you spend lots of time in the carrot patch.

Heck, soldiers in modern armies rarely even have time to cut grass of work in the kitchens. Contractors do that stuff.

So the PLA has a long way to go even it has decided to change its direction.