Theme at Beijing’s annual National People’s Congress: Peace through Chinese strength

Special to WorldTribune.com

By Willy Lam, East-Asia-Intel.com

The 12.2 percent budget boost for the People’s Liberation Army has stolen the limelight at China’s annual meeting of the National People’s Congress (NPC), which opened in Beijing on Wednesday.

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang speaks the National People’s Congress (NPC) in Beijing on March 5.  /Reuters
Chinese Premier Li Keqiang speaks the National People’s Congress in Beijing on March 5. /Reuters

Also remarkable are assertive foreign policy-related remarks made by Premier Li Keqiang and the NPC spokesman Fu Ying, who is a former vice-foreign minister.

While the 2014 defense budge of 808.2 billion yuan represents just 5.2 percent of China’s total government expenditure — and a relatively low 1.4 percent of GDP — it is important to note that the bulk of the PLA’s expenses in the R&D of new weapons come from hidden financial sources that are not publicized.

Perhaps more disconcerting to China’s neighbors in the Asia-Pacific Region are unusually assertive statements on the country’s foreign and defense policies made by Premier Li in his maiden Government Work Report to the legislature.

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