China needs to increase its military budget to meet “complex security challenges,” a top Chinese official said, amid rising geopolitical tensions with the U.S.
“The increase in defense spending is needed for meeting the complex security challenges and for China to fulfill its responsibilities as a major country,” said Wang Chao, spokesman of the National People’s Congress, the country’s top legislative body. He spoke at a press conference in Beijing on Saturday, a day before the official kickoff of the key political event.
China’s defense outlays have come under the spotlight amid increasing friction with the U.S. over technology and the war in Ukraine, as well as Beijing’s claims to a wide swath of the South China Sea. There have also been concerns over a potential military clash between the superpowers over Taiwan.
