Annual People’s Congress – China plans to boost military spending – News

  • In China, the annual People’s Congress began with around 3,000 participants.
  • The meeting will focus on the weakening economy, the planned reorganization of the Chinese government and military spending.
  • Prime Minister Li Keqiang opened the plenary session of Parliament in the Great Hall of the People with his last statement of accounts.

At the beginning of the People’s Congress, 67-year-old Premier Li Keqiang, who is retiring after two terms in office, set a growth target of around five percent or even slightly more for this year. A similar figure of around 5.5 percent was aimed for last year.

Under the pressure of the zero-Covid policy, which was only abandoned in December, the second-largest economy had only achieved three percent. It was the second-worst growth rate since 1976 and only slightly better than 2020’s 2.2 percent at the start of the pandemic. For 2023, Premier Keqiang expects a significant recovery.

Third term for head of state Xi Jinping?

The focus of the conference is the far-reaching reform of the government. The head of state and party leader Xi Jinping is to be confirmed for a third term as president. At the party conference in October, the 69-year-old had already defied previous age and term limits and anchored his permanent leadership role in the party constitution.

Legend:

The spokesman for the conference, Wang Chao, reported on Saturday in Beijing that almost 3,000 delegates were registered for the session in the Great Hall of the People.

Keystone/AP Photo/Andy Wong

Former Shanghai party leader Li Qiang is to become the new prime minister. The 63-year-old has had a long career, most of which he has spent on the prosperous east coast of China. He is said to have economic expertise and a friendly attitude towards private companies.

High spending on defense

In addition, China plans to increase its military spending by 7.2 percent this year. This is a significant increase in the defense budget to 1.5537 trillion yuan (the equivalent of 211 billion Swiss francs). The increase in expenditure for the modernization of the People’s Liberation Army is thus higher than the increase in total expenditure.

China’s defense budget has always risen faster than total spending in recent years – by 7.1 percent in the previous year. The increase was also mostly higher than the growth rate of the economy.

China’s PM wants union with Taiwan


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China’s Prime Minister Li Keqiang has spoken out firmly against Taiwan’s independence and called for “peaceful reunification” with the island’s democratic republic. “We Chinese on both sides of the Taiwan Strait are a family – connected by blood,” said the premier before the People’s Congress on Sunday.

Economic and cultural cooperation with Taiwan and the “peaceful development” of relations should be promoted, Li Keqiang said. In the speech passage, the prime minister was more emotional, but overall somewhat more reserved than in the previous year, when he referred to the blood ties he emphasized, when he had expressly opposed “foreign interference” and “separatist activities” in Taiwan.

China regards Taiwan as part of the People’s Republic and ultimately threatens conquest if “reunification” cannot be achieved otherwise.

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