China is expected to pass a defense budget at its annual parliament session
that will increase military funding by 17.8% in 2007 to US$44.94 billion, state media
reported. The proposed funds will go toward an increase in salary and
allowances for servicemen and army retirees, along with improving the
army's drilling and living conditions. It will also be used to upgrade
military equipment and improve the troops' capability in information technology, according to Jiang
Enzhu, spokesman for the Fifth Session of the Tenth National People's
Congress. The announcement comes weeks after comments from US Vice
President Dick Cheney, saying China's military build-up clashed with
China's claims to be a peaceful power. China's military spending still
falls short of developed countries; at
about US$30.6 billion in 2005, it was equivalent to only half of Britain's defense budget, roughly two thirds of France's or
Japan's, and merely 6% of US military
spending.