Reports are out that China is planning to raise its military spending by almost 18% this year, to 417.8 billion yuan (US$59 billion). From the BBC:
The figure was revealed ahead of China’s annual parliamentary session, which begins on Wednesday.
But experts believe the actual amount allocated to the Chinese military is two to three times larger than the published figure.
Critics also complain that China is not open enough about what it is spending the money on.
