Image: The opening of the National People's Congress 2010 at the Great Hall of the People, Beijing (Remko Tanis/Flickr)
The SIPRI Update for March 2014 is out now—read it online, or subscribe to receive the SIPRI Update in your inbox each month.
In this issue we present an essay by Sam Perlo-Freeman on China's latest military budget figures. He writes:
Overall, SIPRI estimates that total Chinese military spending is about 55 per cent higher than the total central and local defence budget. For example, SIPRI’s estimate for China’s military spending in 2012 was 1049 billion yuan ($166 billion), compared to the official defence budget of 669 billion yuan. This estimate carries a considerable margin of error, especially in relation to the additional military R&D spending.
Read the essay online or browse the full list of SIPRI Essays from 2009 to 2013.