TAIPEI: Taiwan said Monday the continued growth of China's military budget was a threat to the region after Beijing announced another double-digit increase in spending on its armed forces.
"The persistent rise in its military budget is a menace not only to Taiwan but to the peace and stability of the whole region," defence ministry spokesman David Lo told AFP.
He was speaking after China announced Sunday that its defence budget for 2012 will rise 11.2 percent from 2011 to 670.27 billion yuan ($106.41 billion).
Despite a slight slowdown from last year, when China's spending rose by 12.7 percent, the continued growth is of great concern to Taiwan which has pursued a dramatic detente with its giant neighbour.
Tensions between Taipei and Beijing have fallen markedly since 2008 when Ma Ying-jeou of the China-friendly Kuomintang government came to power on a platform of beefing up trade links and allowing more Chinese tourists to visit.
But military pundits warn that Beijing has not since slowed down its ambitious military modernisation projects, foremost at least 1,600 ballistic missiles targeting the island.
In reaction, Taiwan has budgeted Tw$317.3 billion ($10.72 billion) in defence spending this year, a rise of 7.7 percent from 2011 and the first increase since 2008.
Local media say a big chunk of the budgeted rise will be used to finance the production of a home-made cruise missile, a supersonic ship-to-ship missile and an upgrade of a locally designed fighter jet.
Lo declined to provide details of Taiwan's 2012 budget, but reiterated that the island had no desire to launch an arms race with its giant neighbour.
"Taiwan needs a lean but powerful force to defend itself," Lo cited Ma as saying.
Beijing has refused to renounce the use of force against Taiwan should the island declare formal independence although Taiwan has governed itself for more than six decades since 1949 at the end of a civil war.
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