China announced on Monday an 8.1 percent defense budget increase for 2018, giving a boost to the modernization of the world’s largest military after spending slowed in the previous two years. China’s neighbours and the United States have watched warily as Beijing has modernised its military, reducing its ground troops while spending on state-of-the-art hardware and weapons. The defence budget increase has roughly kept pace with China’s national economic output in recent years. “We can expect that China’s defence budget will continue to be subordinated to, and coordinated with, China’s economic performance. US warships, meanwhile, regularly conduct “freedom of navigation” operations near the islands to challenge China’s territorial claims.

Source: Manila Bulletin March 05, 2018 23:37 UTC