BEIJING: China’s decision to increase its defence outlay by 8.1% has more do with the situation in the South China Sea, the volatile Korean peninsula and modernising its armed forces than the threat perception from India, experts said on Monday.
Beijing announced the increase against the backdrop of a “large reduction” of non-battle personnel and the streamlining of the number of group armies from 18 to 13.
“The 2018 defence budget will be 1.11 trillion yuan ($175 billion),” said a statement released before the opening of the 13th National People’s Congress .
China’s defence budget is now three times India’s and against the backdrop of last year’s military standoff at Doklam near the Sikkim border, it raised questions about how much Beijing sees New Delhi as a threat.
Shanghai-based military expert Ni Leixong argued the increase was because of several security threats faced by China.
“It is not surprising that China’s defence budget is more than three times that of India’s. China’s military threats are several times more than India’s, such as the development of Taiwan independence groups, the South China Sea dispute, the dispute with Japan over Diaoyu Islands and the situation in the Korean Peninsula,” Ni said.
“The increase in China’s defence budget sends a signal of living in peace and avoiding military conflicts with neighbours like India,” Ni added.