China ups arms spendings 12.7%

[Turborama]

Source: Hindustan Times

Reshma Patil, Hindustan Times
Beijing, March 04, 2011

China has raised its defense budget by 12.7% - up from a single-digit rise last year - taking military spending for 2011 to $91.5 billion. The return to double-digit hikes in the defense budget will be observed with some anxiety among China's neighbours including India and Japan which complained of Beijing muscle-flexing over core issues and territorial disputes.

The hike comes soon after the first test flight of a Chinese stealth fighter jet and plans to launch an aircraft carrier.

India, which has the world's third-largest military after the Unied States, has a defense budget less than half that of China's, its largest neighbour across the disputed Himalayan border.

This week, India hiked the defense budget by 11.6% to $36.28 billion.

Read more: http://www.hindustantimes.com/China-ups-arms-spendings-12-7/Article1-669573.aspx

[WatsonT]

1. I wonder what they're planning . . .

Starting to feel their oats no doubt.

[no_hypocrisy]

4. Yeah, I was wondering who's the beneficiary of such spending.

Tibet?
Taiwan?
Chinese dissidents?
Chinese citizens who don't want to be poisoned anymore?
Japan?
Us?

[No Elephants]

6. Who's gonna check them, Boo?

(Yes, I admit it. I sometimes watch Andy Cohen repeats it in the wee hours of the morning. Not admitting it proudly, just admitting it.)

[happyslug]

7. Probably part of their Stimulus package

Unlike the US, China is doing much as it can to stimulate its economy. Some of that spending is on defense (FDR did the a same in the late 1930s, producing the second to the last class of Battleships the US would build AND the finished off the pre-WWII carriers that the US Navy would use till the Essex Class Carriers came on line starting in 1943 (Along with the Iowa Class Battleships).

No accuses FDR of building up the US Navy in the late 1930s as an act of aggression, and it is clear the main intention was to get people working NOT to build up the Navy. The same with the modern Chinese situation, it appears to be more spending to get the economy going then any effort to beef up Chinese ability to fight.

[ixion]

12. world domination, just like every other dumb ass politician

Humanity is a loathsome species on so many levels. :(

[WatsonT]

17. What are we going to do tonight brain?

Same thing we do every night pinky: TRY TO TAKE OVER THE WORLD!

[valerief]

2. They're going to invade us, free us from the Republicans, and give us universal healthcare. nt

[rug]

15. I wish somebody would.

[valerief]

19. I know. I keep begging Canada to. nt

[Crowman1979]

3. Gee, isn't free trade great?

:sarcasm:

[No Elephants]

5. Arms are our prideful export. The least they could do is buy from us.

[thereismore]

8. Republicans: Now is not the time to cut defense spending! nt

[Hosnon]

9. "India, which has the world's third-largest military after the Uni[t]ed States..."

Which country has the second-largest?

[samsingh]

13. China

[defendandprotect]

10. We buy their stuff, this is what they do with it ...

No different from US MIC -- stealing taxpayer money for war/warmongering -- torture --

and global arms runners!!

[Joey Liberal]

11. They will make our republicans jealous nt

[rug]

14. The 2011 US DoD budget is $721.3 billion.

8x the Chinese budget with 1/4 the population.

[plumbob]

16. I don't give a fuck. If I lived on the globe with an aggressive country like the USA

which spent nearly 700 BILLION last year on "defense", I'd probably want to spend more than 91 billion or about 12 cents per dollar that my crazy neighbor and trading "partner" was spending.

The US spent HALF of all the money in the world spent on defense last year. Yes, we spent as much as ALL OTHER countries combined. And we have proven that we will invade and kill, kill, kill.

[lunasun]

18. What I was thinking ; with the way we invade and over throw in the name of freedom

they should be very scared ..of Usa... plus they have some things we dont natural resource wise and that always makes a US target on top of being in debt to China treasury wise.
They may have finally woke up to the fact we may not repay them and try to 'war' ourselves out of the payment we have due to them

Manipulative propaganda regarding China would be an easy one on the general population here. MUch easier than Iraq which 90% fell for. So many here hate them anyway
Just think aboutit i am sure they have!!! Not like they can put a wall up anymore to keep out invaders

[underpants]

20. Bad economics (sound familiar?) but they are probably creating a reason for continuation

they are well studied and they know that creating a security infrastructure is a great way to defuse discussion and lower the heads of any dissenters.


Reagan, Stalin, Bush..... all the same

[pinboy3niner]

21. Meanwhile, Russia may look to arms sales to Latin America to make up Libya/ME losses:

Unrest in Libya and the Middle East Is Costing the Russian Arms Industry
By ANDREW E. KRAMER
Published: March 4, 2011

MOSCOW — In its statements and actions, Russia has joined the international community in condemning the violence by Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi of Libya against his citizens. But that has not stopped Russia from counting up its business losses from canceled arms sales to Libya.

Russia will lose $4 billion because of the unrest in Libya and the subsequent United Nations embargo, Sergei V. Chemezov, the director of the Russian state company in charge of weapons exports, said on Friday.

Over all, unrest in the Middle East has toppled or threatens to topple several governments that are longtime customers of Russian military industries, Mr. Chemezov said, and the total losses could reach $10 billion.

<snip>

The Libyan Army filled its now partially looted arsenals with weapons from France, the United States, Sweden, North Korea and other countries, according to an assessment by Jane’s Information Group. Libya also has obtained weaponry from the European defense contractor BAE Systems; the American defense company Raytheon; a branch of Saab of Sweden; and Beretta, the Italian gunsmith, according to Jane’s.

More:
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/05/world/europe/05russia.html

NOTE: At the very end of the article, Chemezov is asked where the Russian arms industry could turn to make up for its loss.

His reply: "There is always Latin America."