China says increasingly powerful military `is no threat´

China has no desire to overturn the existing international order and its increasingly powerful military does not constitute a threat to others, the spokesman for the country’s ceremonial legislature says.

However, in a break with recent practice, Zhang Yesui refused to provide a figure for the rate of growth in the national defence budget.

That move follows complaints that China is not open enough about how it funds its military or what the goals of its massive campaign of expansion and modernisation are.

Mr Zhang sought to strike a reassuring tone in remarks at a news conference on the eve of the opening of the National People’s Congress’ annual two-week session.

He said China defended and contributed to the current United Nations-centred global order, but also said some reforms were necessary.

“China’s development is conducive to world peace, stability and prosperity,” Mr Zhang said, pointing especially to global economic growth, trade and poverty reduction.

“As to the international order, we have no intention of overthrowing everything for starting over again,” he added.

Reforms should focus on “international rules that have fallen behind the times and no longer align with the shared aspirations of all nations.”

China’s secretive military had begun to open up a crack in recent years, and the NPC spokesman in recent years has made a tradition of responding to a question on the defence budget by announcing the percentage increase over the past years, at least in rough terms.

Mr Zhang, however, did not address the question of numbers, saying instead that past increases by a “modest margin” had gone to equipment upgrades, training and improving welfare and living conditions for troops.

China’s defence spending as a share of GDP and the budget also remains lower than that of other major nations, he said.

“China proceeds from a defence policy that is defensive in nature. China’s development will not pose a threat to other countries,” Mr Zhang said.