China raises defence budget  by 7.2%

China on Tuesday announced a 7.2% increase in its defence budget, which is already the world’s second-highest behind the United States at 1.6 trillion yuan ($222 billion), roughly mirroring the rise of the last year.

Tensions on the Occupied  Tibetan Plateau,  Occupation of Indian territory in  Ladakh and Shaksgam Valley,  Claims over Indian State of Arunachal, tensions with  the U.S., Taiwan, Japan and neighbours who share claims to the crucial  Philippines Sea, Natuna Sea/ South  China Sea are seen as furthering growth in increasingly high-tech military technologies from stealth fighters to aircraft carriers and a growing arsenal of nuclear weapons.

The official budget figure announced Tuesday at the opening session of the rubber-stamp legislature’s annual meeting is considered by many foreign experts to be only a fraction of spending by the People’s Liberation Army, the military wing of the ruling Communist Party, once spending on research and development and foreign weapons purchases are considered.