Data shows that global military expenditures have not decreased but increased last year under the raging new crown epidemic

　Under the raging COVID-19 pandemic, global military spending continued to increase last year

　　Data released by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute in Sweden on the 26th showed that in the context of the global new crown epidemic, world military expenditures did not decrease but increased last year, reaching nearly 2 trillion US dollars.

　　According to a report by this Swedish think tank, global military spending in 2020 will increase by 2.6% to US$1981.0 billion, while global gross domestic product (GDP) has shrunk by 4.4% in the same period.

　　Global military expenditures accounted for 2.4% of global GDP in 2020, higher than the 2.2% of the previous year, the largest year-on-year increase since the outbreak of the international financial crisis.

The 12 NATO member states achieved the NATO defense expenditure target last year, that is, military spending accounted for at least 2% of GDP, and 9 NATO member states achieved this target in 2019.

　　The author of the report, Diego López da Silva, told AFP reporters that the global military spending has increased unexpectedly.

He said that due to the new crown epidemic, the outside world may expect military expenditures to be reduced, "but we can conclude with a certain degree that, at least in 2020, the new crown will not have a significant impact on global military spending."

　　The report pointed out that the United States is the world’s largest military spending country. In 2020, military spending will increase by 4.4% year-on-year, reaching an estimated US$778 billion, accounting for approximately 39% of total global military spending.

This is the third consecutive year of growth in U.S. military spending.

　　Another author, Alexandra Markstein, said in a statement that this reflects the United States’ growing concerns about threats from strategic competitors.

　　Da Silva said that there is no sign that the Biden administration will reduce military spending.

　　He reminded, "Whether countries will maintain this level of military spending in the second year of the new crown epidemic remains to be seen."

　　There are signs that the new crown epidemic has already affected military expenditures in some countries.

Countries such as Chile and South Korea have clearly redistributed part of their military budgets to respond to the epidemic.

(Liu Xi) (Xinhua News Agency Special Feature)