While lots of folks are fretting over China’s announced 12.7% increase in defense spending, few have yet noted the way domestic security spending continues to outpace defenese spending, not just in amount but also in rate of growth. From Jamestown comes this:

While it is well-known that China’s public-security apparatus has expanded vastly since 2008, the “Year of the Olympics,” observers were astounded by the 624.4 billion yuan ($95.0 billion) wei-wen budget for this year. The increase represented a jump of 13.8 percent over that of 2010. In comparison, the PLA budget stood at 601.1 billion yuan ($91.5 billion), a year-on-year rise of 12.7 percent (Reuters, March 5; Ming Pao [Hong Kong] March 6).

For those of you who have been watching, the most recent internal security budget is not only 4% larger than Beijing’s defense budget (the first time ever) but it represents a 45% increase in spending from 2009 levels.

Somebody’s very worried in Beijing.

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No doubt seeking to fend off deeper cuts to pet projects in the arts and aid, the Left has been rolling out an innovative math for spinning defense and national security spending. The latest attempt is a fine piece of inflationary puff from CBS, in which the author includes the following in what he labels $1.2 trillion of ”defense spending”:

– Counterterrorism activities of the State Department and the U.S. Agency for International Development

– Funding for peacekeeping and observer operations, clearing of landmines and counterproliferation efforts.

– Funding for law enforcement agencies falling under the Dept. of Homeland Security

– Retired pay and health benefits for military and civilian DoD employees

– Veterans benefits, including heath care, disability and education programs

– And, to ensure he doesn’t miss any opportuinty to pad the bottom line, interest due on funds borrowed to pay for all the above.

This is going to get ugly.

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