China will boost military spending by 17.8 per cent this year, a spokesman for the national legislature said Sunday, continuing more than a decade of double-digit annual increases.

The 2007 budget marks an increase of $6.84 billion US over last year. With its economy booming, China has announced double-digit annual increases in military spending every year since the early 1990s.
 
China's 2.3-million-strong military is the world's largest. U.S. military officials believe China's total military spending may be much greater, since the announced budget does not include weapons purchases and other key items.

In the past, Beijing has spent heavily on adding submarines, jet fighters and other high-tech weapons to its arsenal, which despite its size, lags well behind those of other major nations.
 
Jiang Enzhu, the legislature's spokesman, said the $44.94 billion US military budget would mainly be spent on boosting wages and living allowances for members of the armed forces and on upgrading armaments "to enhance the military's ability to conduct defensive operations."

"China is committed to taking the path of peaceful development, and it pursues a defensive military posture," Jiang said. "China has neither the wherewithal or the intention to enter into an arms race with any country, and China does not and will not pose a threat to any country."

Jiang made his remarks at a news conference at the Great Hall of the People, where the legislature, formally known as the National People's Congress, will begin its 12-day session on Monday.

John Negroponte, the U.S. deputy secretary of state who was visiting Beijing on Sunday, urged China to be more open about its military buildup.

"We think it's important in our dialogue that we understand what China's plans and intentions are," said Negroponte.