By IANS,
Beijing : China will not engage in an arms race with other countries, the defence ministry said Friday, adding that the country’s military growth is for defensive purposes.
Defence Ministry spokesman Geng Yansheng made the remarks in response to a recent report from IHS Jane’s, a global think tank specialising in security issues, which claimed China’s defence budget would double by 2015.
Questioning the sources of the figures in the report, Geng said China’s defence budget is set in accordance with national security needs and the nation’s economic growth level.
“The development of our military capabilities will not exceed our national security needs or economic capacity, and we will not engage in an arms race with other countries,” Geng said at the ministry’s monthly news conference.