{"id":298893,"date":"2017-03-04T12:00:15","date_gmt":"2017-03-04T12:00:15","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/citifmonline.com\/?p=298893"},"modified":"2017-03-04T12:00:15","modified_gmt":"2017-03-04T12:00:15","slug":"china-to-increase-military-spending-by-7-in-2017","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/citifmonline.com\/2017\/03\/china-to-increase-military-spending-by-7-in-2017\/","title":{"rendered":"China to increase military spending by 7% in 2017"},"content":{"rendered":"
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.<\/p>\n
The scheduled announcement was made ahead of the annual National People’s Congress (NPC) in Beijing.<\/p>\n
China has been modernising its armed forces recently as its economy expands.<\/p>\n
China’s announced defence budget remains smaller than that of the US. But many China observers argue the real figure could be much higher.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
The precise figure for the country’s military spending will be provided by Chinese Premier Li Keqiang when he addresses the NPC on Sunday.<\/p>\n
Earlier this week, US President Donald Trump said he was seeking to boost defence spending by 10% in his proposed budget for 2018.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n