China defence spending to rise '7 to 8%' in 2016: official

[BEIJING] China will raise its defence spending by seven to eight per cent this year, a top official said Friday, as Beijing asserts its territorial claims in the South China Sea.

"China's military budget will continue to grow this year but the margin will be lower than last year's and the previous years," said Fu Ying, spokeswoman for the National People's Congress, the Communist-controlled parliament.

"It will be between seven to eight per cent."

AFP