By Song Xin
BEIJING, May 25 -- 2020 marks the last year of the decisive battle to overcome poverty and build a moderately prosperous society in all respects. It is also the year to realize the goals and targets in Chinese national defense and military construction. However, due to the double impact of the COVID-19 epidemic and the ever-growing downward pressure on economic growth, especially the further reduction in revenue but the increase in expenditures, the discrepancy is becoming even more prominent.
In deliberating and discussing on draft central and local budgets for 2020, the deputies noted the special arrangements made, that is the appropriate adjustments to the expected targets formulated before the outbreak, in this national account book which has drawn the attention of various parties, following a comprehensive judgment on the current situation.
“The draft features comprehensive planning, major points highlighted, and being highly targeted,” according to Deputy He Lei, the former vice president of the PLA Academy of Military Sciences, “Compared to those of last year, most arrangements for this year’s expenditures are in reduction. This is especially true to the negative growth in the central government's spending arrangements, in which non-rigid and non-urgent expenditures are reduced by more than 50%. However, expenditures are scheduled to be increased in health, housing security, public security, and grain and oil supply reserves compared with those of the previous year. Judging from the increase and reduction, a strong signal is delivered, that is, to secure a happy life for the people, governments at all levels will tighten their belts.”
“With local expenditures included, national science and technology expenditures are to be increased by 3.1%.” On seeing this in the draft, Liu Shilei, a deputy from the PLA Academy of Military Sciences, said that in the face of multiple difficulties, the state will still increase its investment in scientific research. This is bound to greatly encourage the military, scientific research staff.
Affected by the COVID-19 epidemic this year, fiscal revenue is declining, while more money is needed in multiple aspects. During the deliberation, the deputies noted that in the face of complicated and severe challenges, China still maintains a moderate increase in national defense expenditure.
“At present, national defense and military construction have entered a new era, the tasks of achieving the goal of a strong military are heavy, the time is quite limited, and there are many aspects in need of money. This requires careful calculation and strict budgeting to ensure that no defense spending is wasted.” Major general Leng Zhiyi, an inspector of the CMC Inspection team, said that the military discipline inspection and supervision work would focus on displaying the role of political supervision, and strive to improve the comprehensive use of national defense expenditure.
Stressing on managing the account book with the strictness put at first, Deputy Leng Zhiyi believed that it is necessary to consolidate the main responsibilities of the Party committees and jointly play their role of the check; to supervise the implementation of the military, financial brokerage laws, strictly enforce the various disciplinary provisions of expenditures, improve the efficiency of military expenditures, and seriously investigate and punish those who violate the financial brokerage laws; to continue to supervise the implementation of the eight-point frugality code and the ten-point regulations of the CMC, rigorously examining and dealing with corruption cases against the laws and disciplines, and putting an end to the violation of disciplines and laws in the use of national defense expenditure.
Deputies stated during the deliberation that China's development faces unprecedented risks and challenges at present and in a future period. However, as long as we can rise to the challenges confidently, we are surely to get through the current difficulties.