This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It will not be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/7922699.stm

The article has changed 3 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 0 Version 1
China to boost military spending China to boost military spending
(about 2 hours later)
China says it will increase military spending by a "modest" 14.9% this year to 480.6bn yuan ($70.2bn; £50bn).China says it will increase military spending by a "modest" 14.9% this year to 480.6bn yuan ($70.2bn; £50bn).
The added money is to go to higher pay and improved counter-terrorism and disaster relief programmes, a spokesman for China's parliament said. The money will pay for better salaries, modernisation, and "capacity building programmes" including counter-terrorism and disaster relief, a spokesman said.
China's military is for self-protection and does not pose a threat to any country, said spokesman Li Zhaoxing. China's military is for self-protection and does not pose a threat to any country, said official Li Zhaoxing.
Analysts say defence spending is higher than the official figure, but Beijing says there are no hidden outlays.Analysts say defence spending is higher than the official figure, but Beijing says there are no hidden outlays.
The figure was released ahead of the annual session of the National People's Congress, China's parliament, which begins on Thursday. "There is no such thing as so-called hidden military expenditure in China," said Mr Li at a news conference in Beijing.
"The increased part of the budget is mainly used to raise salaries for soldiers as well as spending on military 'informatisation', counter-terrorism and internal security," Mr Li told a news conference in Beijing. 'Relatively modest'
China wanted to protect the "sovereignty and integrity of Chinese territory and would not threaten any country". The new military budget was released ahead of the annual session of the National People's Congress, China's parliament, which begins on Thursday.
The military's share of the total budget was down from last year, at 6.3%, he said. Mr Li described the increase as modest, saying that China wanted to protect its sovereignty and territorial integrity "and would not threaten any country".
Mr Li described the increase as modest. Analysts say the increase marks the 19th double-digit boost in defence spending by China in the last 20 years.
It marks the 19th double-digit boost in defence spending in the last 20 years, said Associated Press news agency.
Previous increases in defence spending have been greeted by alarm from China's neighbours and the US, who have voiced concerns over Beijing's modernisation of its military.Previous increases in defence spending have been greeted by alarm from China's neighbours and the US, who have voiced concerns over Beijing's modernisation of its military.
By comparison, the US military budget for 2009 has been pegged at $515bn, a 7.5% increase over 2008, Reuters news agency said. The BBC's James Reynolds in Beijing says that many people in China point out that - per capita - China's spending is still relatively modest.
That figure does not include billions of dollars for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. They also say that China's military budget is still about eight times smaller than the military budget of the US, our correspondent adds.
The US military budget for 2009 has been pegged at $515bn, a 7.5% increase from 2008. That figure does not include billions of dollars for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.