軍事力の形成が第一義的に追求された計画経済期の財政制度の影響が残り, 国防関連費がさまざまな部門に分散したままであることから, 中国の国防費の全体像を掴むことは困難である。また公表国防費のなかでも, 細目の支出額が明らかにされておらず, 加えて後年度負担金の状況が不明であることにより, 現行の「国防費」の概念の範囲内から読み取れる情報もきわめて限定的である。予算については一定のルールに従って編成作業が行なわれているとみられるが, その作業の中心は中央軍事委員会, 人民解放軍であり, 国防部の役割はみえてこない。公表国防費の総額の変動は, 計画経済期においても経済改革以降も, 「経済建設の大局に従う」ものであり, 国防支出水準は前年の水準に規定されるものとなっている。
It is difficult to grasp the overall picture of China's defense cost since defense-related spending remains scattered throughout various sectors, as a result of the influence of the fiscal system under the planned economy regime when the formation of military power was sought after as a primary goal. 
The breakdown of expenditures in the disclosed national defense cost, as well as the status of changes in subsequent years remain undisclosed, limiting the amount of information gleaned from the confines of the current "national defense cost" concept. 
Budget compilation is seen to follow a certain rule, but the process centers around the Central Military Commission and the People's Liberation Army, with the role of Ministry of National Defense yet to be clarified. 
An annual change in the total amount of publicly disclosed national defense costs is "in accordance with the general situation of the building up of economy" both during the planned economy era and after the economic reform, and the standard of national defense expenditures is supposed to be defined by that of the previous year's level.

論説