China says to set up military hotline with US

Singapore, June 2: China and the United States are to set up a defence hotline, one of Beijing's top generals said today, a move aimed at improving military relations as Washington grows increasingly wary of China's military build-up.

Zhang Qinsheng, deputy chief of the general staff of the People's Liberation Army, said the issue of a hotline between the Chinese military and the US Defense Department would be settled when he visited the United States in September.

''We will finalise the establishment of the hotline,'' said Major General Zhang, speaking through an interpreter at an Asian security conference in Singapore.

''We are prepared that in September this year during the ninth Sino-US defence talks, we are going to settle the issue.'' Zhang, who was questioned by several delegates -- including former US defense secretary William Cohen -- over Beijing's military transparency, stressed China's policy of self-defence at the conference, organised by the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS).

The US Defense Department said in a report released last month that while Beijing remained focused on the Taiwan Strait as a potential flashpoint, it also appeared to be looking to project its growing military strength elsewhere. The report disputed the size of China's military budget.

Beijing said in March it would boost defence spending by 17.8 percent to about 45 billion dollar in 2007. The Pentagon report cited US intelligence estimates that its total real military-related spending for 2007 could be between 85 billion dollar and 125 billion dollar.

Zhang said that China's increased military spending was justified, adding that the increase was to cover higher salaries and pensions, new uniforms, new military schools, and logistics.

''The published Chinese defence budget is true and authentic,'' Zhang said, according to the translation of his speech, adding that the increase portion of the defence budget ''is mostly used to make up the retail price rise, improve welfare of the military personnel, and for better logistic support.'' Zhang said China's military spending was justified because of the country's enormous size, and because Taiwan remained a threat.

''Given the multiple security threats, geo-political environment, the size of the territory, and the per-capita expense, the Chinese defence expenditure is small,'' he said.

Reuters>