摘要
On March 5,the Ministry of Finance released the 2023 government budget draft report,according to which China’s defense budget of 2023 will be 1.55 trillion yuan(US$224.79 billion),an increase of 7.2 percent year on year,which is only 0.1 percentage points higher than 2022.The release of the defense budget attracted the attention of many foreign media outlets,some of which delivered distorted interpretations and exaggerated“China’s threat of force.”On March 6,Tan Kefei,spokesperson for the delegation of the People’s Liberation Army and the People’s Armed Police Force to the First Session of the 14th National People’s Congress,said that China has adhered to the principle of coordinated development of national defense and economic development.