China announced Wednesday that it would increase its military budget by 12.2 percent this year — the largest spending hike for national defense purposes in three years.
President Xi Jinping will see to it that China’s defense budget jumps from roughly $117.26 billion to $131.57 billion in 2014, Reuters reported. It plans to funnel that money into increased coastal and air defenses.
“This is worrying news for China’s neighbors, particularly for Japan,” said Rory Medcalf, a regional security analyst at the independent Lowy Institute in Sydney, Reuters reported.
After Japan and Taiwan expressed displeasure with the announcement, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang held a briefing in which he said that China would not have a military comprised of “boy scouts with spears,” Reuters reported.
“Some foreigners always expect China to be a baby scout,” continued Qin. “In that way, how can we safeguard national security and world peace?”
The move by China is seen in part as a reaction to the U.S. Pacific “pivot” into the region. China is also in an ongoing dispute with Japan over islands in the East China Sea.
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• Douglas Ernst can be reached at dernst@washingtontimes.com.
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