Yul Kwon:
As you just heard in the piece, Beijing says that its military budget this year is 91.5 billion dollars. But the Pentagon estimates that the Chinese actually spend much more than that, about 160 billion dollars just last year. Now it sounds like a lot of money, but to put that into perspective, the US military will spend 550 billion dollars this year. So should we be concerned about China•s military buildup? To help us answer that question and more, we have with us today Phillip Saunders, director of the Center for the Study of Chinese Military Affairs at the National Defense University. Thanks for joining us today, Phillip.

Phillip Saunders:
Happy to be here.

Yul Kwon:
There's been a lot of talk about China's naval expansion, but again, the United States has about 11 carriers worldwide, while China only has one. Should we really be concerned about China's expansion?

Phillip Saunders:
The new carrier is sort of dipping a toe in the water of what it means to have a real power projection navy. And so I would say this ship on its own doesn't mean a lot, it's mostly going to be used for training. And until you have aircraft that can fly off the carrier, it's mostly a big target. But in five or six years, that will turn into a real capability that they could deploy elsewhere in Asia or outside the region. It's not so much that it is a concern for the US Navy, but for a number of China's neighbors, it's a formidable ship, at least once it is fully equipped and has aircraft and is ready to operate.

Yul Kwon:
Got it. The US Defense Department says the build-up is primarily aimed at preventing any declaration of Taiwanese independence. Do you agree with that assessment?

Phillip Saunders:
I think that's been the main focus of China's military modernization since about 1996, when there was the last major incident across the Taiwan Strait. But I also think it's the case that as Chinese military capabilities have improved, they now have the ability to damage Taiwan enough to deter independence. And I think we are starting to see a set of other interests and other missions drive some of China's military modernization. So while Taiwan is still the most important mission, we are also starting to see other things like protection of sea lanes and communication and protection of Chinese citizens abroad and Chinese economic interests be talked about as a justification for new military capabilities.

Yul Kwon:
Over the past 200 years or so, to the extent that China's been invaded by foreign countries, it has always been attacked from the sea. So couldn't you argue that rather than representing an act of aggression, they're just acting prudently to have a force that can defend its coasts and keep its sea lanes open to supply its economy?

Phillip Saunders:
It is true that while China is historically thought about as a continental power or land power, maritime domain is increasingly important for its economic future, and that is a security concern. But I think one of the other drivers for China's naval modernization is that they have a number of unresolved maritime claims: islands in the South China Sea, islands in the East China Sea and a large exclusive economic zone. And it is those unresolved maritime claims that are often cited by Chinese analysts and navy officers as a reason they need to improve their naval capabilities. So I think it's not all about defense. They are also things that China claims that it does not control, and they see naval power as a means of strengthening those claims, and perhaps ultimately enforcing them with the use of force.

Yul Kwon:
Thanks so much Phillip, we really appreciate your insights. Phillip Saunders tracks the Chinese military at the National Defense University in Washington, DC.