Confrontation with neighbors: China raised its defense budget by $ 209 billion; India will also buy jets, tanks, missiles

China has increased its defense budget this year amid tensions with key neighbors including the US and India. China increased its defense budget to US $ 209 billion, a 6.8 percent increase from the previous year. The budget was announced by the Chinese Premier Li Keqiang at the National People’s Congress (NPC), the country’s parliament.

Defending the budget increase, NPC spokesman Zhang Yesui told the media that China’s efforts to strengthen national defense did not target or threaten any country. Whether a country poses a threat to others depends on what kind of defense policy it adopts, he said, adding that China is committed to the path of peaceful development and follows a defensive policy in nature. Bloomberg calculations show that the defense spending figure will increase by 6.9 percent for this year.

“We will provide strong financial guarantees for national defense and modernization of the armed forces and modernization of the armed forces and help to enhance China’s defense capabilities,” the Finance Ministry said in a report. China took a tense stand with India on the border in June last year, when 20 Indian soldiers were martyred.

India has said that the budget set for domestic defense procurement in 2021-22 will be used to purchase a variety of military hardware, ranging from fighter jets to helicopters and tanks to missiles. India has promoted military indigenization. 70,221 crore to purchase locally produced weapons and systems to deliver – 63% of the military capital budget set.