China Boosting Defense Budget to Respond to Changing Security Situation

BEIJING (Sputnik) - China is increasing its defense budget to meet complex security challenges and fulfill the country's obligations, Wang Chao, a spokesman for the first session of the 14th National People's Congress, said on Saturday.

"The increase in defense spending is driven both by the need to respond to complex security challenges and the need to fulfill the obligations of a large country," Wang told reporters.

The spokesman added that the scale of the military spending was also determined by the basic needs of defense construction and the level of development of the national economy.

At the same time, Wang refused to specify how much China would increase its defense spending in 2023, though adding that all the details would be set in the country's draft budget expected to be published on Sunday.

The spokesman noted that the share of China's defense budget as s percentage of the country's GDP had remained largely stable and below global average figures for many years.

"The growth rate is relatively moderate and reasonable," Wang added.

He also said that the modernization of China's armed forces would not pose a threat to any country "but on the contrary, it will become a positive force for maintaining stability and peace in the region and around the world."

China steadily increases its defense budget every year, although Beijing adheres to the defensive nature of its military doctrine and does not participate in wars or military conflicts. In 2022, China planned to raise its military budget by 7.1% year-on-year to 1.45 trillion yuan ($209.9 billion).