The Chinese government announced a big bump in spending on the armed forces on Wednesday, saying it will increase its defence budget by 12.2 per cent this year to $132 billion, as the country opened its ceremonial legislature.
The figure for defence spending, included in a budget report released ahead of the National People’s Congress, rose 10 per cent last year to 720 billion yuan, the most for any nation apart from the U.S.
China and its neighbours have been in disputes over the control of islands and sea lanes in surrounding oceans. There has been a sharp escalation of tensions with Japan in the past 18 months over control of a string of tiny uninhabited islands in the East China Sea.
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