China to boost military strength

"Stepping up efforts to modernize our national defense and armed forces is an important guarantee for safeguarding national security and building a moderately prosperous society in all respects," Wen said in his annual address to the nation.

"We will strengthen the building of our armed forces," he told some 5,000 delegates and political advisors to China's annual session of the National People's Congress.

Tap Here to Add The Daily Star As A Trusted Source

Informed legislators told AFP military spending this year would rise 11.6 percent over 2003, marking a return to double-digit growth in defense expenditures.

The figure was expected to be announced Saturday in Finance Minister Jin Renqing's budget report.

China increased its stated military budget by 9.6 percent in 2003, following a 17.6 percent rise in defense spending in 2002 and a 17.7 percent increase in 2001.

It was not immediately clear if the increase would be on top of what was actually spent on defense in 2003, or on the 2003 budgeted figure of 185.3 billion yuan (22.37 billion dollars).