 "Xi Jinping")
China withheld release of its annual military-spending target during an annual news conference, breaking with a practice that provided a key glimpse into the world’s second-largest defence budget.
National People’s Congress spokesman Zhang Yesui sidestepped a question about the figure at a briefing Sunday ahead of the annual legislative session in Beijing, saying defence spending had increased to make up for past shortcomings. The figure could be released as soon as Monday, when the legislature is expected to receive a Ministry of Finance report at the start of its session.
Last year, China’s military budget rose 7.1 percent to 1.044 trillion yuan
