Foreign Correspondence

[Amaunet]

China to double budgeted military spending this year


WASHINGTON: China is more than doubling its budgeted defence spending this year as part of an aggressive military modernization strategy, including deterring any moves by Taiwan to declare independence, the Pentagon said. China’s official defence budget in 2004 is more than 25 billion dollars. But when off-budget funding for foreign weapons system imports is included, total defence-related expenditures this year should soar to between 50 and 70 billion dollars, said Richard Lawless, the deputy undersecretary of defence.

This would rank China third in defence spending after the United States and Russia, he told a Senate hearing where China’s military reforms were discussed. Lawless, who handles security affairs in the Asia-Pacific, said that China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) had stepped up its modernisation plan in recent years to prepare against any separation moves by Taiwan.

"In recent years, the PLA accelerated reform and modernisation so as to have a variety of credible military options to deter moves by Taiwan toward permanent separation or, if required, to compel by force the integration of Taiwan under mainland authority," he said.

China claims Taiwan as part of its territory despite a split 55 years ago at the end of a civil war, and has said it would invade if the island declared independence or descended into chaos.

The United States is Taiwan’s biggest ally and arms supplier and is bound by law to provide weapons to help Taiwan defend itself if the island’s security is threatened. But Washington also acknowledges Beijing’s position that Taiwan is part of China.

Lawless said PLA’s determined focus on preparing for conflict in the Taiwan Strait "raises serious doubts over Beijing’s declared policy of seeking ‘peaceful reunification’ under the ‘one country, two systems’ model." He said conventional missile operations was among key areas of reform of the Chinese military. Beijing’s growing conventional missile force provides a strategic capability "without the political and practical constraints associated with nuclear-armed missiles."

"The PLA’s short-range ballistic missiles (SRBMs) provide a survivable and effective conventional strike force and represent a real-time coercive option," he said.

China continues to improve the capabilities of its conventionally armed SRBM force. Some 500 to 550 SRBMs are deployed opposite Taiwan, increasing at a rate of 75 a year, Lawless said, adding that the "accuracy and lethality" of this force also were expected to increase through use of satellite-aided guidance systems.

Meanwhile in Brussels European Union is still far from deciding whether to raise a 15 year-old embargo on arms deliveries to China, sources close to the EU presidency said on Friday, citing internal differences over the issue. Last week the EU rebuffed China’s demands for an end to the embargo in place since the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre in Beijing when China sent in tanks to break pro-democracy protests, killing hundreds. "We’re being quite frank that we’re still a good distance away from achieving unanimity, " said the sources, ruling out an decision at an EU foreign ministers’ session next Monday and Tuesday in Luxembourg.

Irish Foreign Minister Brian Cowen, whose country holds the EU’s rotating presidency, told Chinese Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing last week that the embargo would stay in place at least until this summer.

EU leaders had agreed last December to review the ban after France said the embargo had outlived its usefulness. But a number of member states argue China needs to do much more to safeguard human rights. Diplomatic sources say Denmark and Britain in particular do not believe the moment is opportune to end the ban. Others, including Sweden and the Netherlands, fear reactions from their parliaments and domestic public opinion, the sources added. Europe also faces pressure from the United States, which firmly opposes ending the embargo. But a French source said here on Friday France would not give up, reiterating France’s view that the embargo was outdated.

China is modernising its armed forces in line with its growing economic and technological clout, potentially opening up lucrative new markets for foreign arms companies. But during a visit to Beijing this month, European Commission President Romano Prodi said more efforts were needed first to improve human rights in China.



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