The increase will be spent on salaries, new equipment, training and higher fuel costs due to soaring oil prices, said Jiang Enzhu, a spokesman for China's congress, which opened its annual session March 5.

"I wish to emphasize that China is a peace-loving nation," Jiang said at a news conference. "China is committed to peaceful development."

Beijing's true military spending is believed to be several times higher than the reported figure, which doesn't include weapons purchases and other key items.

This year, military spending will be about 7.4 percent of China's total budget, "which is more or less the same as in recent years," Jiang said.

China has spent heavily in recent years on submarines, jet fighters and other high-tech weapons to back up its frequent threats to attack Taiwan.

The Japan Times Weekly: March 11, 2006
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