China’s defence spending has risen steadily in recent years and Parliament is expected to approve another year of double-digit growth in the military budget when the National’s People’s Congress convenes on March 5.

World’s Biggest Army

China’s 2,255,000 troops are almost double the size of the world’s second largest army — the US, whose forces number 1,546,372.

China’s 1.6 million-strong army, 225,000 Navy and 400,000 Air Force personnel, include 800,000 reserves.

There are also 3,969,000 paramilitaries.

Red Army Roots

The People’s Liberation Army PLA was born out of the Red Army, a five-million strong peasant army. The PLA became the national armed force in 1949, as communist leader Mao Zedong swept to power.

Soviet expertise helped organise it into a mass army, geared towards protracted wars of attrition during the 1950s, when it fought in the 1950-1953 Korean War.

New Directions

The PLA is now being transformed into a modern force capable of fighting short, high-intensity conflicts against high-tech adversaries.

China-watchers are also monitoring international deployments for signs of China’s rising global status translating into a more assertive foreign policy and presence.

Increased Spending

In 2006, the National People’s Congress announced a 14.7 per cent rise in the annual defence budget, to 284 billion yuan 36.6 billion.

Foreign analysts say the true amount of defence spending is 1.5 to three times that.

China’s estimated defence spending rose from 39.9 billion in 1999 to 80 billion in 2005.

US spending rose from 292.1 billion to 518.1 billion over the same period.

US Concerns

The US Department of Defence’s 2006 report to Congress stated that China’s military build-up appears focussed on Taiwan Strait contingencies, but also said China’s leaders have not adequately explained the purpose of their military expansion.

This lack of facts about China’s military led the US Congress to pass 1997 legislation requiring the Department of Defence to submit its annual PLA report to Congress.