Asian countries arms up to counter Chinese might

Vietnam nearly doubled its overall military spending; Japan now is requesting a biggest—ever defense budget and Philippines rushing to piece a viable navy.

Several Asian countries are now arming up, their wary eyes fixed head—on one country: a resurgent China that is boldly asserting territorial claims along East Asian coast.

The nations scramble to spend more and more on defense dollars comes as amid spats with China over the disputed reefs and waters. Other Asian countries like India, South Korea were quickly modernizing their forces, although their disputes with China have stayed largely at diplomatic level.

Asian countries now account for about half of the world’s arms imports. China leading the way by quadrupling its total annual budget for military expenditures over the past decade, the growth in military spending has kept pace with the economic expansion.

The government of China’s goal is to extricate US as the most powerful in Pacific. Among its stakes are the vital shipping lanes in South China Sea and the potentially lucrative pockets of natural gas and oil under East Asian waters.

“The Chinese bet is that it can increase its military capacity in the South and East China seas faster than Vietnam and the Philippines can do so,” Kaplan said. “If China is able to move freely and exercise more control of its adjacent seas, it will become a full-fledged naval power.”