…the defense ministers and prime ministers are all talking about how important it is for NATO members to increase their defense budget to 2%…And when talking about Asia, you sound like Asia are doing too much? ”
…we are more and more globalized and gradually I hope the standard will become more unified…But as a Chinese… we're proud finally we can develop a strong military to defend ourselves. This country suffered so much in the past, need to be able to stand on? their own feet.?
Good afternoon, your excellencies, ministers, ladies and gentlemen.?My name is John Chipman. I am the director general in chief executive of the International Institute for Strategy Studies in London. I have been asked to make a 10-minute presentation to set the scene for this panel that is entitled "Pacific no more，Security in East Asia and Korean Peninsula".
IISS data shows that, after overtaking Europe as the second largest defense spending region in 2012, Asia in 2016 spent 1.3 times more than Europe on defense when measured in constant 2010 US dollars. China spends the most in the region. Its official defense budget is 1.8 times higher than the combined budgets of South Korea and Japan, and 3.7 times higher than other states surrounding South China Sea put together.
Professor John Chipman's remarks remind us when you are examining Asia, you seem to look at things from another angle. For example, yesterday the defense ministers and prime ministers are all talking about how important it is for NATO members to increase their defense budget to 2%. It's necessary and it's one of the hottest issues debated here. And when talking about Asia, you sound like Asia are doing too much? "
John Chipman教授的發(fā)言讓我們覺得你們似乎在從另外一個(gè)角度來(lái)審視亞洲。例如，昨天和今天有一些政要（國(guó)防部長(zhǎng)和首相）在討論北約成員國(guó)把國(guó)防預(yù)算提高到GDP的2%是何等重要，說(shuō)這是必需的，也是這次會(huì)議要探討的熱門議題之一。但談及亞洲時(shí)，您的發(fā)言聽起來(lái)似乎在說(shuō)做得太過分了？
China has been keeping its defense budget at 1.5% of its GDP all these years. And I don't intend, I don't think our state council agrees to raise it to 2%. 1.5% is quite OK. But every year when we are having congress. I am the spokespreson of the Congress. The first question to me is China's defense budget，and the next day you'll read from the page story is how threatening China is.
So I think in today's world, we are more and more globalized and gradually? I hope the standard will become more unified, and we could somehow look at each other through the same light. We are not enemies to each other. I also agreed that there should be a very good analysis of the defense development and a good explanation to each other why we're doing so. We'll feel more comfortable about it. But as a Chinese, I think I share the feeling of many of us in China, that we're proud finally we can develop a strong military to defend ourselves. This country suffered so much in the past, need to be able to stand on their own feet.
