jfq-105_60-68 中国国防预算中持续存在的知识缺口

60 Features / Knowledge Gaps in the Chinese Defense Budget JFQ 105, 2nd Quarter 2022Persistent Knowledge Gaps in the Chinese Defense BudgetBy Frederico BartelsThe Peoples Republic of China (PRC)s Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) presents the most signifi-cant military challenge to the United States and its allies. It is therefore imperative for us to understand PLA funding to enhance our understanding of the role of the military instrument in PRC foreign policy. This article dis-cusses the current knowledge of how much funding is available for the PLA and the gaps in that knowledge, some solutions that attempted to close these gaps, and some areas prime for further development. The cost of a military for a society is not only a theoretical question; it also reveals part of the rela-tive importance of the military in that society. In the case of the PRC, many unknowns remain regarding the cost of the PLA. Such murkiness is expected: The ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP) constructed a notoriously ambig-uous government in which members manipulate statistics and facts to fit its desired narrative.1 When it comes to disclosing to the international com-munity its military expenditures, C