BEIJING, Mar. 9 -- On March 9, Chinese Defense Spokesperson Senior Colonel Wu Qian, also spokesperson for the delegation of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) and the People's Armed Police (PAP) Force to the second session of the 14th National People's Congress (NPC), briefed the media on the arrangements for China's national defense budget in 2024.
The spokesperson first pointed out that national defense is the security guarantee for the survival and development of a country and a nation and is closely related to the well-being of its people. The Chinese government adheres to the guideline of coordinated development of national defense and the economy and reasonably determines the scale of national defense expenditure. In recent years, in order to safeguard national sovereignty, security, and development interests, and to meet the needs ofmilitary transformation with Chinese characteristics, the Chinese government has maintained a reasonably stable growth in overall defense expenditure while ensuring the sustained and healthy economic and social development, and has promoted synchronous improvement in both defense capabilities and economic strength.
The spokespersonfurther introduced that in a world far from being peaceful, it is imperative to strengthen the military. Today, changes unseen in a century are unfolding at a faster pace and international political disputes and military conflicts have broken out at many points.China is facing a complex and severe situation in fighting against domestic separatists and the instability and uncertainty of China's security situation have increased, so the military struggle tasks are arduous.
"In order to ensure that the modernization process of national defense and the military is compatible with the national modernization process, to comprehensively improve the strategic capabilities of defending national sovereignty, securityand development interests, and to achieve the goals for the centenary of the PLA in 2027", said the spokesperson,"the national general public budget in 2024 has arranged the defense expenditureof 1.69 trillion yuan, a 7.2 percent year-on-year increase. Among them, the central-level expenditure is 1.67 trillion yuan, also a 7.2 percent year-on-year increase."
According to the spokesperson, the increased defense expenditure is primarily allocated to the following areas.
First, it will be used to advance the implementation of the 14th Five-Year Plan for military development, ensure the implementation of major projects and key programs, comprehensively strengthen military training and combat preparedness, and consolidate and enhance the integrated national strategic system and capability.
Second, it will be used to accelerate innovation and development of defense-related science and technology, promote modernized logistics construction, implement major projects in defense-related science and technology and weaponry, and accelerate the transformation of technology into combat effectiveness.
Third, it will be used to deepen defense and military reforms, establish a modern military governance system, and improve modern military governance capability.
Fourth, it will be used to improve the training and war preparedness conditions of the troops and the working and livingconditionsforservice members, and improve thewelfare policy system that reflects the characteristics of military professionalism.
"The entire Chinese military will firmly establish the concept of living frugally, strengthen the concept of high efficiency and low waste, adhere to the principle of diligence and thrift in all undertakings, and improve the utilization efficiencyof defense resources", added the spokesperson.
The spokespersonstressed that China adheres to the path of peaceful development and firmly pursues a national defense policy that is defensive in nature. China has always been a stabilizer in a turbulent world, a positive energy for international security, and an activist in maintaining peace. With the development and growth of the Chinese military, the international community's expectationon China to provide more public security products is also rising. Moderate and stable growth in defense expenditure will help the Chinese military implement Global Security Initiative, carry out international peacekeeping, maritime escort, humanitarian rescue, and other operations more effectively, and make more contributions to building a community with a shared future for mankind.
"China's defense spending is transparent and moderate", said the spokesperson. According to him, in accordance with the requirements of China’s National Defense Law, Budget Law and other laws and regulations, the annual defense expenditure budget is included in the government budget draft, which is reviewed and approved by China's NPC, and is administered and used in accordance with the law. China's total defense expenditure budget is publicly disclosed.
The spokesperson also emphasized that China actively participates in the United Nations Report on Military Expenditures system and has submitted military expenditure reports for the previous fiscal year to the United Nations annually since 2008. Compared to military powers like the US, China's defense expenditure remains relatively low in terms of the percentage in GDP, percentage in national fiscal expenditure, and per capita defense expenditure as well as per-servicemember defense expenditure.
"The fact has already proven and will continue to prove that China's limited defense expenditure is entirely necessary for safeguarding national sovereignty, security, and development interests, as well as for maintaining world peace and stability", said the spokesperson, adding that the Chinese military will always be a staunch force in safeguarding world peace.
