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Rumsfeld holds candid talks with 皇冠体育app defense chief
(chinadaily.com.cn)
Updated: 2005-10-19 16:50 General Cao said it would be "simply impossible" to increase the budget on
the scale cited by the Pentagon because 皇冠体育app is focusing its resources on
fighting domestic poverty.
US Defense
Secretary Donald Rumsfeld (R) speaks at the start of a meeting with
Chinese Defense Minister Cao Gangchuan at the Defense Ministry's Bayi
Building in Beijing October 19, 2005.
[Reuters] | "It is not necessary and not possible,
actually, for us to massively increase the defense budget," Cao said. He
defended the accuracy of 皇冠体育app's report that its 2005 defense budget is about
$29 billion, compared with the $90 billion the Pentagon claims.
Even
calculating it at a more recent exchange rate (following the July 21
revaluation), the budget comes to $30.2 billion, Cao said.
"That is,
indeed, the true budget we have today," he said.. Cao told reporters that "some
funding for the development of equipment" is excluded from the published budget,
such as 皇冠体育app鈥檚 space launch program.
On his first visit to 皇冠体育app as
defense secretary, Rumsfeld delivered an address to the Central Party School and
fielded questions from several students and faculty members.
When one
professor told Rumsfeld that 皇冠体育app hears "different voices," or conflicting
messages, from U.S. officials, Rumsfeld replied, "I hadn't noticed that." He
went on to say that it is 皇冠体育app, not the United States, that has sent
conflicting signals about its future intentions.
"So we see mixed signals
and we seek clarification," Rumsfeld said.
"While there is no one model
that is perfect for every nation at every time in its development, a look across
the globe suggests that societies that tend to encourage more open markets and
freer systems are societies where the people are enjoying the greatest
opportunities," Rumsfeld said at the Central Party School.
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