Chinas defence spending increases have been reasonable: Parliament spokesman

BEIJING – Chinas defence spending as a share of gross domestic product has been kept basically stable for many years, with the increases moderate and reasonable, the spokesman of the countrys Parliament said on Saturday.

The modernisation of Chinas military will not pose a threat to any country, Mr Wang Chao, spokesman for the National Peoples Congress, told reporters.

Mr Wang was asked at a news conference how much Chinas defence budget would increase in 2023, and whether any increase would be larger than in previous years.

He declined to give any figures for this years defence budget.

The spending figure will be officially unveiled in the national budget to be released on Sunday at the start of the 2023 annual meeting of Parliament.

It will be closely watched by Chinas neighbours and in Washington as a barometer of how aggressively the country will beef up its military.

Beijing routinely says that spending for defensive purposes is a comparatively low percentage of its GDP and that critics want to demonise it as a threat to world peace.

China is facing challenges on several fronts, ranging from Chinese-claimed Taiwan to United States naval and air missions in the disputed South China Sea near Chinese-occupied islands and a festering border dispute with India.

China staged war games near Taiwan in August to express anger at the visit to Taipei of then US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

Chinas annual meeting of Parliament, due to kick off on Sunday, will end on March 13, Mr Wang said earlier.

The meeting will last a total of 8 days, he added.

Thousands of delegates from across China are set to convene in Beijing for the start of the countrys annual legislative meetings known as the lianghui or Two Sessions. REUTERS More On This Topic The two Lis and their roles in Chinas present and future China to reshuffle Cabinet at annual Parliament session, restructure party and state organs