China says it will increase military spending by about
7% this year, just days after Donald Trump outlined a
boost to the US defence budget.
The scheduled announcement was made ahead of
the annual National People’s Congress (NPC) in
Beijing.
China has been modernising its armed forces recently
as its economy expands.
China’s announced defence budget remains smaller
than that of the US. But many China observers argue
the real figure could be much higher.
The announcement marks the second consecutive
year that the increase in China’s defence spending
has been below 10% following nearly two decades at
or above that figure.
It means that total spending will account for about
1.3% of the country’s projected GDP in 2017, the
same level as in recent years, said
government
spokeswoman Fu Ying.
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The precise figure for the country’s military spending
will be provided by Chinese Premier Li Keqiang when
he addresses the NPC on Sunday.
Earlier this week, US President Donald Trump said he
was seeking to boost defence spending by 10% in his
proposed budget for 2018.
China’s military build-up – and projection of naval
power – has caused concerns in the region, where it
has taken an increasingly assertive stance in
territorial disputes.
Beijing has been building artificial islands on reefs in
waters also claimed by other nations in the South
China Sea.
Images published late last year show military
defences on some islands, a think-tank says.
Defending its right to build, China has said in the past
that it has no intention of militarising the islands, but
has acknowledged building what it calls necessary
military facilities for defensive purposes.
There have been sporadic incidents between US and
Chinese ships in the South China Sea. Late last year,
a Chinese ship seized a US navy underwater drone off
the Philippines, but later agreed to return it.
Chinese ships have also been involved in clashes and
stand-offs with ships from Vietnam and the
Philippines.
Japan signed off a record defence budget last
December in the face of territorial disputes with China
in the East China Sea and North Korea’s nuclear and
missile threats.
In Beijing, Ms Fu said on Saturday that China
advocated “dialogue for peaceful resolutions, while at
the same time, we need to possess the ability to
defend our sovereignty and interests”