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Now even France spends more on its military than Britain as China takes second spot in global arms race
http://www.mailonsunday.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1191629/Now-France-spends-military-Britain-China-takes-second-spot-global-arms-race.html
By Daily Mail Reporter Last updated at 12:36 AM on 09th June 2009
China and France have overtaken Britain to become the top military spenders behind the United States.
China raised spending by 10 per cent last year to ?52.9billion, taking the second spot previously held by Britain, a research group said.
Third-placed France spent ?40.8billion, pipping Britain's arms budget of ?40.6billion.
Members of the flight crew of a French AWACS radar plane stand on the tarmac in Dakar, Senegal
A French Air Force Rafale, manufactured by French company Dassault Aviation
And Russia climbed to fifth from seventh in 2007, spending ?36.5billion, the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute said.
But the U.S. continued to dwarf all military budgets, spending ?378billion, an annual rise of 9.7 per cent.
It accounted for nearly 42 per cent of the total global arms spend of ?909billion.
Globally, spending rose 4 per cent in 2008.
An undated photo released by Taiwan Air Force shows a French-made Mirage fighter launching a Micas air-to-air missile
The institute said: 'China is continuing to acquire both domestic and foreign arms.
'It does not mean they are the second strongest military power, because a lot of other countries have been at this game a lot longer.'
The report said security in Afghanistan is likely to worsen and warned expectations for President Obama's strategy there may be too high. It added that the U.S. Iraq withdrawal will be 'challenging'.
Sergeant Arron Fox (R) of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) looks out from the top of a hill in east Kabul
Chinese honour guard soldiers prepare to pick up their weapons and get ready to march next to Tiananmen square for a state function in Beijing
The research institute said Obama will face difficult challenges in withdrawing troops from Iraq, as well as in changing the way the U.S. deals with the international community and in pursuing nuclear disarmament.
'These and other challenges may be exACerbated by the effects of the world financial crisis as key countries find it difficult to muster the necessary political and economic will to collectively address global and regional security problems,' the report said.
A look at the top 10 arms spenders and top 10 arms producers in the world, according to estimates by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute:
Top 10 military spenders 2008 (US$, billions)
1. United States — 607
2. China — 84.9
3. France — 65.7
4. United Kingdom — 65.3
5. Russia — 58.6
6. Germany — 46.8
7. Japan — 46.3
8. Italy — 40.6
9. Saudi Arabia — 38.2
10. India — 30.0
Top 10 arms producers 2007, according to sales (US$, billions)
1. Boeing (US) -- 30.5
2. BAE Systems (UK) — 29.9
3. Lockheed Martin (US) — 29.4
4. Northrop Grumman (US) — 24.6
5. General Dynamics (US) — 21.5
6. Raytheon (US) — 19.5
7. EADS (West Europe) — 13.1
8. L-3 Communications (US) — 11.2
9. Finmeccanica (Italy) — 9.9
10. Thales (France) — 9.4 |
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发表于 2009-6-10 23:13
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