中国最近因各种原因成为新闻头条，涉及国防支出和人口减少等问题。以下是有关中国的最新新闻报道。
首先，据报道，2023年中国的国防支出将增加以应对复杂的安全挑战，并履行作为一个大国的责任[3]。根据世界银行数据，中国政府已经预算了1.45万亿元（2280亿美元）用于国防支出，占其GDP的1.7%。相比之下，在2021年美国在海外巨额义务下仍花费了其GDP的3.5%用于国防开支[1]。中国全国人民代表大会发言人表示该国增加军费开支是合理的[2]，并称这些增长是“适度和合理”的[7]。
中国增加军费预算背后原因被归结为该国对多个方面挑战感到紧张不安，包括台湾问题以及靠近中方占领岛屿争议南海地区内美军舰艇和空中任务等。然而一位官员声称增加军费开支是合理且不构成威胁 [5]。
另一个重要问题是中国正面临着人口减少问题。根据全球统计局报告，在2022年时期内, 与前一年相比, 中国总人口从14.16亿降至14.12亿 [8]. 这种减少归因于较低的生育率和老龄化人口所致。这种人口变化可能对不仅仅影响到中国本身还会影响到整个世界经济产生重要影响, 因为过去曾经推动全球经济增长.
在国际新闻方面，世界卫生组织敦促中国披露其对COVID-19起源所知道信息 [6] 。此前数家美国政府机构声称病毒泄漏源自一家华盛顿实验室引发了疫情爆发事件 。WHO呼吁所有相关各方共享有关病毒来源信息。
此外，在南海和东海存在海上争端问题 ，来自印度、日本、美利坚合众国和澳大利亚四个外交部长都表达了他们对基于规则制定秩序遭受挑战感到担忧，并敦促中方遵循《联合公约》解决纷争并保持地区稳定性 [9].
此外, 中國還要求美國停止與台灣所有溝通，并停止两者间所有军事联系 [10]. 中國认为台湾是一个分裂省份，并在近年来提高围绕该岛建立更强大武装力量活动水平.
总之，在当前形势下 , 由于存在诸多紧张局势与安全隐患无论在境内或境外 ，导致中國选择提高其防御预算也就显得尤为必要 . 尽管某些观点认为这样做非常明智可取 ,但其他观点则担心这样做可能会给地区稳定带来负面影响 。
[1] “China spent 1.7% of GDP on its military in 2021, according to the World Bank, while the U.S., with its massive overseas obligations, spent a relatively high 3.5%. China budgeted 1.45 trillion…”
URL: https://news.yahoo.com/china-defense-boost-meet-complex-073423567.html
[2] “China is nervous about challenges on several fronts, ranging from Chinese-claimed Taiwan to U.S. naval and air missions in the disputed South China Sea near Chinese-occupied islands and a…”
URL: https://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2023-03-04/chinas-defence-spending-increases-have-been-reasonable-parliament-spokesman
[3] “China needs to increase its defense spending to meet complex security challenges and fulfill its responsibility as a major country, Wang Chao, spokesman for the annual National Peoples…”
URL: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-03-04/china-to-increase-defense-budget-to-meet-security-challenge
[4] “Chinas top legislature, the National Peoples Congress, holds a news conference at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Saturday, one day ahead of the opening of its annual session. [Photo …”
URL: http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202303/04/WS6402c511a31057c47ebb2226.html
[5] “China is nervous about challenges on several fronts, ranging from Chinese-claimed Taiwan to U.S. naval and air missions in the disputed South China Sea near Chinese-occupied islands and a…”
URL: https://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/chinas-defence-spending-increases-reasonable-not-a-threat-official-ahead-of-budget-101677909551589.html
[6] “The World Health Organization has urged all countries to reveal what they know about the origins of Covid-19, after claims from several US government agencies that a Chinese lab leak was behind the…”
URL: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/mar/04/who-calls-on-us-to-share-information-on-covid-19-origins-after-china-lab-claims
[7] “Reuters, Beijing. Chinas defense spending as a share of gross domestic product has been kept basically stable for many years, with the increases moderate and reasonable, the …”
URL: https://english.alarabiya.net/News/world/2023/03/04/China-s-defense-spending-increases-have-been-reasonable-Parliament-spokesman
[8] “China remains home to 1.4 billion people. But that number is getting smaller. The countrys National Bureau of Statistics reported Chinas population slipped to 1.412 billion last year from…”
URL: https://www.cnbc.com/2023/03/03/china-population-how-slower-growth-could-hit-the-global-economy.html
[9] “In a direct shot at China, which has become increasingly aggressive in the Pacific and has alarmed its smaller neighbors by pushing claims to disputed maritime zones, the ministers said they viewed with concern challenges to the maritime rules-based order, including in the South and East China Seas.”
URL: https://apnews.com/article/indo-pacific-diplomacy-india-us-australia-japan-china-17ebf36a78b413a1946f6bfec5546074
[10] “China on Friday, March 3 urged that the US must cease all communication with the self-administered island of Taiwan, and halt all military contacts between the joint chiefs of staff from the two ally nations. The US must cease selling weapons to the breakaway territory Taiwan, Chinese Defense Ministry spokesman Tan Kefei said.”
URL: https://www.republicworld.com/world-news/china/china-demands-us-must-stop-selling-arms-to-taiwan-and-cease-all-military-contacts-articleshow.html