Chinese regime announces 7.2 % increase in its defense budget

China's premier Li Qiang announced at the National People's Congress in Beijing that the communist regime will increase its defense budget by 7.2% later this year. At the annual meeting of the Asian giant's legislature, Qiang stressed that China seeks to maintain steady growth in the defense sector in a context in which it must face internal and external challenges.

The increase announced by the prime minister in the legislative session was the same as last year, which was surprising, considering that the Asian giant's defense budget has been increasing in recent decades and even doubled since 2013, shortly after dictator Xi Jinping took power.

Different media outlets have revealed that the Chinese regime's defense investment has been focused on developing of advanced military technologies, ranging from nuclear weapons to aircraft carriers and even stealth fighters. This increased defense investment appears to be driven not only by tensions with the United States or its intentions to annex Taiwan but also by Japan and other regional rivals' beginning to lay claim to parts of the South China Sea.

Economic targets

In addition to his announcements on the defense buildup, Qiang also revealed that the communist regime has set as one of its main goals for this year, to achieve economic growth of 5%. Despite such ambition, the International Monetary Fund has repeatedly predicted that it will be almost impossible for China to reach these figures and even detailed that the Asian giant would not grow more than 4.6% this year.

The announcements made by the minister came a day after President Donald Trump raised the tariffs on goods from China by 20%. In response, Xi Jinping's regime has executed other tariffs against the American giant and even commented in a statement that it will be willing to fight this trade battle "until the bitter end is reached."

Taiwan annexation

In his annual report, Qiang detailed that the communist regime maintains "reunification" with Taiwan as one of its primary goals, making it clear that China would not desist in materializing that objective. "We will firmly advance the cause of China's reunification and work with our compatriots in Taiwan to achieve the glorious cause of the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation," the premier remarked.