China to increase military spending
Ap, Beijing
China will boost military spending by 17.8 percent this year, a spokesman for the national legislature said Sunday, continuing more than a decade of double-digit annual increases that has stirred unease in Washington and some of China's neighbours. Underscoring such concerns, Jiang Enzhu also lashed out at the president of Taiwan, the self-governing island claimed by China, accusing him of manipulating Taiwan's political divisions to steer it toward formal independence, something Beijing has vowed to prevent using military force if necessary. "If you want to bring about secession, you will not enjoy popular support. If you want to push for independence for Taiwan, you will not have success at the end of the day," Jiang said at a news conference at the Great Hall of the People, where the legislature, formally known as the National People's Congress, will begin its 12-day session on Monday. However, Jiang said the $44.94 billion defence budget would mainly be spent on boosting wages and living allowances for members of the armed forces and on upgrading armaments "to enhance the military's ability to conduct defensive operations."
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