The massive search launched for the missing Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 has proved how important it is for China to upgrade its military. China had to deploy four warships, four coast guard vessels and far from its coasts to search for Flight MH370, which went off the radars after taking off from Kuala Lumpur for Beijing after midnight on March 8. The Chinese media have described the deployment as the largest Chinese rescue fleet ever assembled.

Seen in this light, the 12.2 percent increase in China's military spending for 2014 is not huge. The draft budget report submitted to the National People's Congress (or the national legislature) for review says the defense expenditure should be increased 12.2 percent to 808.2 billion yuan ($131.4 billion) this year.

The growth in China's defense budget should be seen as a "compensatory" rise. After the reform and opening-up was launched in the late 1970s, most of China's limited resources were pressed into economic construction while defense expenditure fell for more than 10 years.

Reform and opening-up helped China register a high and steady economic growth rate which remarkably improved people's living standards. But the under-spending delayed the upgrade of China's military. As a result, there appeared a "generation gap" between the militaries of some advanced countries and China.

China has been trying to coordinate national defense upgrade and economic growth to make the country prosperous and its military an efficient force. Based on economics data, China's military spending has not harmed its economic growth. Instead, it has contributed to projects that have improved people's livelihoods and promoted economic growth by improving infrastructure, expediting the development of science and technology, boosting domestic demand and training talents.

Despite a double-digit growth in China's defense budget over the past few years, the expenditure is considerably low both in terms of its share in GDP and as part of fiscal expenditure. China is the world's second-largest economy, but its defense expenditure is less than 1.4 percent of its GDP, lower than the global average. Therefore, a moderate increase in defense spending is not only conducive to, but also necessary for economic growth. In fact, there is still room for a moderate increase in the future.

To undertake new tasks and missions in an increasingly complicated security environment, China has to raise its defense budget on a moderate scale. The most important reason for the increase in the military budget is the defense of national territory and sovereignty. China has to deal with territorial and maritime disputes with other countries, too. And history tells us that without a powerful military, a country cannot be safe from external forces.

China also has to meet others challenges such as terrorism and separatism. The deadly terrorist attack at Kunming railway station in Yunnan province on March 1 shows how serious a threat terrorism poses to China. The frequent emergency rescue and relief operations that Chinese troops have to undertake are another reason why China has to increase the defense budget.

Besides, the search operation launched by China after Flight MH370 went missing has added another dimension to its defense forces. That apart, Chinese navy has to combat sea piracy and escort mercantile vessels in dangerous waters, especially in the Gulf of Aden and off the coast of Somalia.

The increase in the defense budget will also make China more capable of undertaking its increasing global responsibilities to maintain world peace, which include international peacekeeping and relief operations, and international military cooperation to cope with non-traditional security threats.

Despite all this, China will not change its defensive defense policy or take part in any arms race, which means it will never pose a threat to other countries.

Contrary to what some Westerners say, China needs to raise its defense budget to defend its national integrity.

China could pose a threat to regional and global security and stability only when Chinese troops cannot safeguard the country because of poor military budget and it becomes a victim of unrest caused by security issues. Regional and global security and stability could also be threatened if the Chinese military cannot undertake greater responsibility for maintaining the postwar international order and is found wanting in meeting global security challenges because of the lack of funds.

The author is an associate researcher with the Institute of Strategic Studies, National Defense University.

The opinions expressed on this page do not necessarily reflect those of China Daily.

(China Daily USA 03/17/2014 page12)