Military spending

China confirms 7 percent increase in 2017 defence budget

China's defence budget will rise 7 percent in 2017, to 1.044 trillion yuan ($151.43 billion), state media said on Monday, after the omission of exact figures from an annual report sparked questions over transparency on military spending.

The budget increase, a figure that is closely watched around the world for clues to China's strategic intentions, is the smallest in more than a decade, as economic growth has slowed, with a target of about 6.5 percent for the year.

The spokeswoman for China's parliament, Fu Ying, said on Saturday that defence spending for this year would rise about 7 percent, accounting for about 1.3 percent of gross domestic product - matching the level of the last few years.