China will raise its defense budget by around 7 percent this year, a spokesperson for the annual session of the country's top legislature said on March 4, compared to last year's 7.6 percent.

At a press conference a day before the National People's Congress (NPC) convenes its yearly meeting, spokesperson Fu Ying said China's defense spending will remain around 1.3 percent of the country's GDP.

(Xinhua News Agency March 4, 2017)