Chinese defence spending boost to meet ‘complex security challenges’

Spokesman Wang Chao speaks during a press conference on the eve of the opening session of the annual meeting of China’s National People’s Congress (AP)

Increases in China’s defence budget have been “appropriate and reasonable” and are aimed at meeting “complex security challenges”, a government spokesman said.

Wang Chao gave no indication of whether the rate of increase to be announced on Sunday at the opening of the National People’s Congress’s annual session in Beijing would be above or below last year’s 7.1%.