Military spending measures a country’s possible military capability
Military spending measures a country’s possible military capability. Chinese excessive military spending has several consequences on its allies and enemy. Therefore, increased spending shows critical political circumstances that have prompted an increase in allocation. Thus, China has specific targets and desired outcomes. There is a lack of transparency in excessive military spending. China’s military spending has increased by eight-fold for the past two decades; in 1998, it was 31.2 billion dollars, while in 2018, it was 239.2 billion dollars. China’s military expenditure is second after the United States. China faced many problems in the region due to its excessive military spending. Many injustices occurred as a result of its military spending, and it also had adverse effects on Taiwan.
China suffered in terms of the diplomatic environment due to its forceful approach to Taiwan. The problem occurred due to the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) hawkish behavior; therefore, it tended to isolate China by encouraging the US to develop closer security ties with Taiwan and the strengthening of the US-Japan alliance. In addition, it affected China’s objective to create a better relationship with its neighboring countries, such as those in Southeast Asia.
China has faced a problem in the region due to its increasing assertive nationalism with the PLA while defining security goals and national identity (Chang 2018). Additionally, China has also used its strategic culture and recurrent use of military power in the quest for national security interests. Therefore, there was an emergence of a heightened nationalist environment that was promoted by Party-State since the collapse of the Tiananmen crisis state socialist regimes in Eastern Europe, the Soviet Union to counter challenges of peaceful evolution. Nationalism had gained support in external relations. Therefore, the rising nationalism, realpolitik strategic culture caused factors of insecurity, uncertainty, and instability in the region. Other states refused to accommodate the Chinese goals, therefore increasing conflict over territory and other specific interests of the Chinese regime. China’s relations with its neighbors have declined to create less room for flexibility while addressing issues such as proliferation, arms transfers, and defense connections. The military role in transforming the nation’s security and international relations agenda has been destabilized due to lack of democracy and the use of force, and the use of repressive strategies has not been politically recognized. The state was broken down in China and experienced a revived civil war involving Taiwan and Hong Kong with unidentified outcomes. China’s quest for power would be affected by political factors. Asia and the world faced negative political implications and security.
Taiwan experienced a slow growth rate, china’s excessive military spending reduced the spending on economic development. Taiwan had invested heavily in China, and almost one million Taiwanese lived permanently in China. Moreover, due to East Asian Agreements on free trade agreements with each other, Taiwan would be marginalized in the process of regional economic integration. China’s excessive military spending hurts Taiwan’s security. For instance, firstly, Taiwan would be expected to sacrifice its interest and give in to the demands of Beijing. Second, China’s intervention with Taiwan would delay or scare away the US from supporting Taiwan in the event of a conflict, thus increasing the cost of American intervention (Beckley 2017). In addition, Taiwan’s exposure to international threats and growing uncertainty about US support reduced Taiwan’s negotiating power with the mainland.
Moreover, China’s excessive military spending caused Taiwan’s allies to question the need for help. US Senator Arlen Spector’s suggestion to Washington to reduce its arms sales policy to Taiwan’s saying increase in arms sales would not be enough to stem the conflict. Questions aroused when Taiwan lowered the defense budget over the years; therefore, some analysts questioned Taiwan’s commitment to protecting itself. Chinese military involvement in Burma’s internal affairs and advocate for insurgents have affected Beijing’s relationship with Myanmar. The relationship began to grow after the army gained power in 1988. The Burma government was prohibited from international support and contacts (Dutta 1998). Therefore, Burma depended on China, which negatively affected traditional neutrality and in their independence. Thus, the regime was unable to strengthen the military and faced destabilizing relationships with the neighbors. China’s army was a threat to Tibetans in exile. The military created separatism due to Political and indigenous unrest in Tibet.
China’s military refused to support Bangladesh’s freedom and instead endorsed Pakistan’s military effort to brutally and forcefully suppress secessionist activities in the east. President Sheikh Mujibur Rehamn was too close to the Soviet Union, and India, therefore, faced Chinese hostility. Additionally, Chine, in conjunction with the United States and Pakistan, supplied arms to the insurgents to Impose Soviet withdrawal from the country. It, therefore, destroyed the Afghan state, provided it with armaments, and later failed to build an appropriate state and even a government of peace. The Chinese army did not create an alternative peaceful state but left them to rebuild from the outset, with many consequences, blame, and conflict.
In conclusion, China’s excessive military spending is a concern for both Western countries and neighbors due to a lack of transparency in the modernization of military and political instability concerning internal and external challenges. Moreover, it was a threat because the neighboring countries were not sure if China would use force in protecting its national interest, such as territorial disputes. China faced problems in the region and also attacked Taiwan destabilizing its economy.