A day before the session of Chinese parliament is due to begin, China announced that it will hike defence spending by 10% this year. This move has special importance on the backdrop of the record 2.8% hike registered by Japan in its 2015 defence budget.
Though the hike made by China is lower than its 12.2% growth in 2014, it is significantly higher than the hike registered by Japan.
Fu Ying, spokesman for the National People’s Congress (China’s legislature) said, “The recommended growth rate for national defence in the draft 2015 budget report is about 10%”. The hike will increase Beijing’s defence spending on top of the $131 billion sanctioned in 2014.
Lesson from History
Fu justified the move, saying, “Lagging behind leaves one vulnerable to attacks. That is a lesson we have learned from history.“
Chinese media said 35 million Chinese suffered at the hands of Japanese troops during World War II.
Reason behind China’s fear
With 2.8% increase this year, Japan’s defence budget rose to $28 billion, much lower than that of China.
However, according to experts, Japan is moving away from its pacifist constitution and trying to build a strong military.