When the international community questions the Chinese communist regime's motivation for expanding its military, the regime typically responds that it's in the interests of national defense, or the need to thwart Taiwan independence.
However, most of China's Asian neighbours and many western countries including the United States believe the Chinese army has expanded far beyond its defense needs.
Admiral Timothy J. Keating, current commander of the U.S. Pacific Command, pointed this out during a recent visit to China. Countering Taiwan independence means a potential war along the Taiwan Strait. But even for that, China's military strength has exceeded far beyond its needs.
Over the last 20 years, China's military yearly expenditure has doubled, reaching into the hundreds of billions of yuan per year. However, it is estimated that the actual military spending is at least two to three times higher than what has been publicized.
Each year, the military budget heads the list of national financial budgets during the National People's Congress (NPC) and the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC).
For example, when the topic of people's livelihood was particularly stressed at the NPC and CPPCC held in March 2007, military spending still ranked at the top. The 2007 military budget reached 350.921 billion yuan (about US$ 46.789 billion), which was 52.99 billion yuan more than previous years and presented an increase of 17.8 per cent.
It accounted for 7.5 per cent of the national fiscal expenditure. It was higher than the agricultural expenditure of 800 billion yuan covering more than 800 million farmers. It was also more than double the total expenditure for science, technology, education, health and cultural development.
Taiwan independence has been a delicate issue for the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). The regime might feel humiliated if Taiwan indeed declares independence. After all, the CCP has exaggerated the importance of the issue both domestically and internationally for many years.
However, if the voice of pro-independence weakens, or if the Taiwanese no longer debate the issue of independence versus unification, the regime's excuse for military expansion would no longer exist. Not expanding the army would lead to a sense of insecurity. Therefore, in fact, the CCP wants Taiwan to continue and prolong the debate.
The Tibet issue also provides clues to the CCP's hidden agenda.
When the Dalai Lama publicly renounced his stance on Tibetan independence, admitted willingly that "Tibet is a part of China" and even adopted the "one country, two systems" invented by the CCP in the hopes of securing autonomy for Tibet and to resolve the Tibet issue, the regime not only refused to acknowledge his gesture but also continues to criticize the Dalai Lama and label him "pro-independence."
As a result, while the international community is aware that the Dalai Lama is not seeking independence but rather autonomy, the Chinese people still hold the misconception that the Dalai Lama is pushing for the independence of Tibet.
The purpose of such propaganda is to delay the peace talks with the Dalai Lama so that the Chinese regime can continue to reform Tibetan culture and thus achieve full control over Tibet after the Dalai Lama passes away.
Meanwhile, it also serves to confuse the international community and to avoid pressure to conduct peace talks between Beijing and the Dalai Lama.
The situation with the Taiwan issue is very similar. With the excuse of "anti-Taiwan independence," the CCP has been able to not only develop and accumulate large amounts of armaments and train and maintain a massive armed force, but also hold on to its last lifesaver in the name of nationalism and patriotism.
In addition, "anti-Taiwan independence" also serves as a smokescreen for the regime to mislead Chinese citizens' prospects for Taiwan's democracy and avoid the direct influence and impact of Taiwan's democracy to China.
Moreover, the mouthpieces of the Chinese communists, such as China Central TV Station, have frequently demonized Taiwan's democracy with its own concocted "Cultural Revolution" to discredit and vilify Taiwan's democracy.
With a presidential election in Taiwan this year, the Chinese communists are worried about who will take office. The CCP would wish neither to tone down nor to end the issue of Taiwan independence. The real catastrophe for the CCP will arrive once the issue of "democracy versus autocracy" along the Taiwan Strait replaces that of "unity versus independence."
It can be expected that if Ma Ying-Jeou becomes president, his idea of "no unification, no independence, no force" will be labeled as "disguised" Taiwan independence for the convenience of criticism. If Frank Hsieh wins the election, his "reconciliation symbiosis" proposal will also be fixed with the label of "pro-Taiwan independence" so that long-term suppression of Taiwan can continue.
As I have mentioned in the past, the CCP started its substantial increase in military spending and armed forces buildup after the Tiananmen massacre in 1989. The regime has engaged aggressively in military ventures with only one purpose: to consolidate and defend their regime.
The gun has always pointed inward (to the Chinese people), not outward. The history of the CCP is the proof. The regime would not acknowledge that, of course. Therefore, "anti-Taiwan independence," "anti-terrorism," and "anti-hegemony" have all provided perfect excuses for China's military expansion.
-Reprinted with permission From Radio Free Asia
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