Beijing plans to set aside 7 per cent more for the military this year, with the total still a fraction of US spending
Song Zhongping, a military analyst and former People’s Liberation Army (PLA) instructor, said the increase reflected China’s “moderate growth in defence spending”.
Song said the PLA required more investment for training and equipment, particularly to maintain new systems.
However, in peacetime, China must allocate greater financial resources to education, science and technology, and public welfare, he said. “Therefore, defence expenditure must remain modest.”
Source: News - South China Morning Post
