Beijing, Mar 5 (PTI) China on Wednesday announced a 7.2 per cent increase of its national defence budget totalling to USD 249 billion this year amid its hectic efforts to modernise armed forces, including fast paced development of warships and new generation fighter jets.

The planned defence expenditure for the country is 1.784665 trillion yuan (about USD 249 billion) this year, according to a draft budget report submitted to China's Parliament by Premier Li Qiang, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.

Last year, China increased its defence budget by 7.2 per cent to about USD 232 billion (1.67 trillion yuan).

China has the world's second-largest military budget after the US whose latest defence spending amounted to over USD 890 billion as proposed by President Donald Trump.

The Chinese defence spending is amounted to three times that of India's Rs 681, 210 crore (USD 78.8 billion).

China's defence budget figures are viewed by critics with scepticism in the light of massive military modernisation, including building aircraft carriers, rapid construction of advanced naval ships and modern stealth aircraft being carried out at a feverish pitch by the Chinese military.

Announcing the annual budget which includes the defence spending at the opening of the annual session of China’s parliament, the National People’s Congress (NPC) Chinese Premier Li Qiang said last year, China made major new progress in national defence and military development.

Li emphasised on the Chinese President Xi Jinping’s core leadership of the ruling Communist Party as well as the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) and the military follow the party leadership.

Xi is also the Chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC) which is the overall high command of the military.

“We will stay committed to the Party’s absolute leadership over the people’s armed forces, thoroughly implement the system of ultimate responsibility resting with the chairman of the Central Military Commission, continue improving the political conduct of the military," he said.

The Chinese military functioned under the leadership of the Communist Party unlike the armed forces of other countries which functioned under the government.

"We will step up military training and combat readiness, speed up the development of new combat capabilities, and establish a framework of modern military theories with Chinese characteristics, so as to firmly safeguard China’s sovereignty, security, and development interests," Li said in his work report submitted to the NPC.

On Tuesday, Lou Qinjian, spokesperson for the NPC, defended China’s increasing defence expenditure, saying that "peace needs to be safeguarded with strength".

Since 2016, China's annual defence spending has maintained single-digit growth for nine years in a row, he said, adding that China's defence expenditure as a share of GDP has been kept under 1.5 per cent for many years.

In his budget speech, Li said China will complete the tasks laid down in the 14th Five-Year Plan for strengthening the military, intensify the implementation of major defence-related projects, and move faster to develop the network information system.

The government will also promote military-civilian reforms, refine the framework and layout of defence-related science, technology, he said.

"We in government at every level will provide strong support for the development of national defence and the armed forces and refine the mechanisms for strengthening mutual support between civilian sectors and the military, so as to consolidate and strengthen the rock-solid unity between the military and the government and between the military and the people," he said. PTI KJV AMS

Military modernisation drives defence budget increase, reinforcing party-led control and accelerated defence-industrial integration and readiness measures. China increased its national defence budget to support accelerated military modernisation focused on naval and air platforms, networked information systems, and major defence projects to strengthen combat readiness. The executive affirmed the Communist Party's absolute leadership and the Central Military Commission's ultimate responsibility, and pledged to deepen military-civil fusion and refine defence science and technology frameworks while maintaining defence spending within a stated GDP share.