China increases defense budget 14.9% in 2009
According to Chinese parliament spokesman Li Zhaoxing China plans to increase it’s defensive budget to 480.686 billion yuan ($70 billion). That will be 6.3% of China’s total fiscal expenditure in 2009.
The raise for the Chinese military shall be used for better treatment of servicemen, on the purchase of equipment, construction of facilities and enhancement of the armed forces capacity for disaster relief and anti-terror operations.
Parliament spokesman Li Zhaoxing:
“China’s defense expenditure accounted for 1.4 percent of it’s GDP in 2008. The ratio was 4 percent for the United States, and more than 2 percent for the United Kingdom, France and other countries. China’s limited military force is mainly for safeguarding our sovereignty and territory and forms no threat to any other country.”
Lunar Pride - China landing on moon in 2013
China’s three-stage moon mission begun with it’s first phase on Sunday. According to Ye Peijian, member of the 11th National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) and chief designer of Chang’e I, it’s all about “orbiting”, “landing” and “returning”.
Since the first stage was successfully accomplished, the second phase to test the abilities of Chang’e II will take place at latest in 2011. China’s Chang’e III shall then make a soft landing and take probes at the moon in 2013.
Last year China’s space program has got world wide attention for launching people into space. China is only the third nation after the U.S. and Russia to come this far.
Read more at the official website of China’s National Space Administration
Avoiding Mutual Misunderstanding: Sino-U.S. Relations and the New Administration
The head of the Carnegie Endowment’s presence in Beijing Tianjian Shi concludes in his publication about the new phase of the Sino-U.S. relations the following theses:
- China policy should be crafted with an understanding of what motivates the Chinese Communist Party’s actions andreactions.
- China expects the United States to lead during the financial crisis and sees its own role as limited to its domestic affairs.
- The United States would have more success in its political and economic agenda with Beijing if it developed high-level relationships with Chinese leaders and avoided aggressive public language on hot-button issues.
- The United States should pursue multilateral policies that include China as a responsible stakeholder, especially in regional initiatives.
- Developing a positive image with Chinese leaders and the public will give the United States valuable political capital in U.S.-China relations.
Read the full report “Avoiding Mutual Misunderstanding: Sino-U.S. Relations and the New Administration”
Tianjian Shi is a specialist in Asian security issues and political participation. He was associate professor and before that assistant Professor in Duke University’s Department of Political Science from 1993 to 2008. The author of several books including Lineage and Village Governance in Contemporary China: Multidisciplinary Research and Political Participation in Beijing, he also sits on the editorial board of Journal of Contemporary China. (Carnegie Endowment for International Peace)
China’s exports and imports down, trade balance still positive
The Chinese General Administration of Customs published the new January figures. The Chinese exports are in comparison to 2008 down 43.1 percent, that is US $ 51.34 billion. The exports are not much better with -17.5 percent or US $ 90.45 billion but the overall trade surplus doubled up to US $ 39.1 billion. See details here.
China & USA hold first military-to-military consultation since Obama took office: “Remaining difficulties”
The talks between the Chinese and the US defense ministries are the fifth of it’s kind and prove to speak out the remaining difficulties of the military relation between the two countries.
According to Qian Lihua, director of Foreign Affairs Office of China’s Defense Ministry, the Chinese side is determined to approach the ongoing Taiwan issue which remains in the center of the military mind.
“China-US military relations remain difficult. We expect the United States to take concrete measures for the resumption and development of our military ties. Frankly speaking, it will take a long time to restore our military exchanges as not a single obstacle in military ties has been removed so far.”
The US-Taiwan arms deal of October 2008 is still watched with special attentiveness. It was the biggest arms deal to Taiwan since China and the United States signed the “August 17 Communique” in 1982 which stated to reduce the military support of Taiwan. The deal was worth $6.5 billion and included 30 Apache attack helicopters and 330 Patriot missiles.
The US representative Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense David Sedney said he is following the footsteps of the recent China visit of Hillary Clinton:
“I was here two months ago when I was an official of the Bush administration. Now I am happy to come as an official of the Obama administration. We must increase communications to reduce the chance of strategic misunderstanding. We do have a lot of serious and important things to talk about … I hoped this year’s session will be productive and fruitful.”
