China refutes British think tank's report regarding military spending

China refuted the annual military balance report of a British think tank saying China lacks transparency in its growing military spending, urging them to view the country's development in an objective, just and rational way.

"China's military expenditure in 2014 accounted for less than 1.5 percent of GDP, which is not only well below major countries in the world, but also less than the world average of 2.6 percent," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said Thursday.

"Our per capita military spending is even less, only one twenty-second that of the United States, one-ninth of Britain and one-fifth of Japan," she told a daily press briefing.

Her comments came in response to a question regarding the military balance report of the International Institute for Strategic Studies released on Wednesday, an annual assessment of the military capabilities and defense economics of 171 countries worldwide.

The report highlighted China's growing investment in maritime power-projection capabilities.

Hua stressed China is sticking to peaceful development and a defensive national defense policy.

The development of China's military buildup is a required for maintaining the country's territorial integrity and development as well as international and regional peace and security, she said, adding it is not directed against or pose a threat to any country.

China has been mindful of controlling its military spending and making rational arrangements of the expenditure, she said.

"China's annual defense budget is incorporated into the annual financial budget draft of the central government, and then submitted to the National People's Congress for approval," she said.

The whole process is open and transparent, and so are the total amount of the defense spending, its composition and other information, she added. Endi