FALLING BEHIND: Defense spending has failed to equal 3 percent of GDP, while Israel, which also faces military threats, spends 5 percent of its GDP, an academic saidBy Wu Su-wei and Jake Chung / Staff reporter, with staff writer
ALSO STRATEGIC: The analyst said militarized public investment is part of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s economic vision to emphasize ‘internal circulation’By Wu Su-wei and Jonathan Chin / Staff reporter, with staff writer
China’s soaring military spending amid a COVID-19 pandemic slump is a dual bid to stimulate the economy and obtain strategic capabilities, a defense analyst said after Beijing yesterday unveiled a 1.36 trillion yuan (US$210 billion) defense budget.
According to China’s general budget for fiscal 2021, its defense spending is to grow by 6.8 percent, compared with 6.6 percent in the previous fiscal year.
The military spending increase comes as China’s economy grew by just 2.3 percent last year, the lowest year-on-year economic gain in two decades.
The perennial growth of China’s military budget is driven mainly by political and military needs, said Su
Monday, 01 March 2021 - 20:44
Reaffirmed strongly with the necessity of the continuation of National Security Adviser (NSA)-level meeting between India, Sri Lanka and Maldives, a secretariat for trilateral National Security Advisers on Maritime Security Cooperation was formed under the auspices of Secretary of Defence, General (Retd) Kamal Gunaratne at the Navy Headquarters today (01st March 2021).
Based on an agreement reached at the 04th NSA -level trilateral meeting hosted in Colombo on 28th November 2020 with the attendance of defence chiefs of three participating countries, it was decided to establish a secretariat for the convenience of future conclaves.
Through NSA -level meetings, it is expected to pay concerns into the current maritime security environment in the region and discussed mutual cooperation in the areas of humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, joint exercises and capacity building. Further, it enables participants to discuss new areas of cooperation in
by Dr. SinhaRaja Tammita-Delgoda
Sri Lanka will shortly be facing renewed scrutiny at the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva, where elements of the international community have been calling for action over unsubstantiated war crimes allegations. This may lead to sanctions against senior officers of the Sri Lanka armed services and even political leaders.
Sri Lanka’s response has been characterized by the usual lack of preparedness, last minute flurries of activity and panic. There has been very little research, serious study or thinking. This has been the hallmark of Sri Lankan strategic and diplomatic thinking over the years.