China will increase its defence spending by 6.6 per cent this year to 1.27 trillion yuan (S$253 billion), a slightly slower increase compared to the previous year's 7.5 per cent.
Beijing's military spending, announced each year at the opening of its annual legislative meetings, is closely watched as a barometer for how it will expand its military capabilities.
The figures were unveiled just as Chinese Premier Li Keqiang delivered his work report to 2,900 delegates at the Great Hall of the People in the Chinese capital on Friday (May 22). The meetings, which are usually held in March, were pushed back to May this year because of the coronavirus outbreak.
Mr Li said Beijing would continue to strengthen its armed forces which safeguards "China's sovereignty, security, and development interests".
"We will deepen reforms in national defence and the military, increase our logistic and equipment support capacity, and promote innovative development of defence related science and technology," he said.
Despite the economic impact from Covid-19China's GDP slipped 6.8 per cent in the first quarter of this year, experts have said the country is likely to maintain steady growth in defence spending.
This is because of increasing external pressurerelations with the United States are tense, and there is increasing friction over Taiwan, South China Sea and Xinjiangmeaning Beijing has greater need to ensure it's a strong military deterrent.
Global Times editor-in-chief Hu Xijin wrote in a commentary this week that Beijing needed to maintain a positive increase in its military spending to deter external threats, including from the US.
"This is the cornerstone of China's peaceful life in these turbulent times. It is the most external shield to protect the interests of us," he said.
At a press conference on the eve of the opening session, National People's Congress spokesman Zhang Yesui said China's defence policy is defensive in nature, and its spending in proportion to its gross domestic product was "appropriate and restrained".
"For several years, China's defence spending has been staying at around 1.3 per cent of its GDP. This is much lower than the world average of 2.6 per cent," he said.