‘A lot of questions’ China spooks US Navy as it spends BILLIONS developing arsenal
A US Navy chief has blasted China for its troubling lack of transparency over its military budget.
China develops jet that could travel at 3,700mph
Admiral Scott Swift, Commander of the US Pacific Fleet, said China’s “intent is not clearly understood”.
He made his comments after China unveiled an 8.1 percent rise to £125billion (1.1trillion yuan) in defence spending for 2018 amid ambitious modernisation plans for the military.
During a press roundtable in Tokyo, Japan, today Admiral Swift said: “These investments and commitment need to be taken with full transparency.
"There are a lot of questions on the minds of countries in the region and extending beyond the region of what exactly does this mean.
“People shouldn’t be left guessing as to exactly what the objective of these increases is.”
Beijing insists it simply needs to update old equipment and defend its
China’s state media on Monday said the 2018
Defence spending in China is only officially about one-quarter of the military spending of the United States, but many foreign analysts and diplomats say China under-reports the figure.
Admiral Swift raised concerns about China's military spending
The China Daily said: "China's
"And if calculated in per capita terms, China's military lags well behind other major countries."
Speaking at the opening of China’s 13th National People’s Congress, Premier Li Keqiang said China will “advance all aspects of military training and war preparedness, and firmly and
The nation has the world’s largest military by
President Xi Jinping promised last year to make China's armed forces a “world-class force”
That would leave the People’s Liberation Army’s strength at around two million troops.
China has made no secret of its broader military ambitions, with President Xi Jinping promising last year to make China's armed forces a “world-class force” by the middle of the century.
The country is developing new military capabilities including stealth fighters, electromagnetic railguns, aircraft carriers and anti-satellite missiles.