China to raise defence spending by 7.1% to $229B

China is raising its defence spending in 2022 by 7.1% to $229 billion, up from a 6.8% increase the year before. Saturday's announcement marks a continuation of the robust spending that has given China an increasingly powerful military that is challenging the U.S. armed forces' dominance in the Indo-Pacific region.

In his address to Saturday's opening session of the ceremonial legislature, the National People's Congress, Premier Li Keqiang said China would "fully implement Xi Jinping's thinking on strengthening the armed forces and the military strategy for the new era."