China has announced its biggest rise in military spending in three years, a strong signal from President Xi Jinping that Beijing is not about to back away from its growing assertiveness in Asia, especially in disputed waters.
The government said on Wednesday it would increase the defence budget by 12.2 percent this year to $131.57bn, partly to develop more high-tech weapons and to beef up coastal and air defences.
Al Jazeera's Rob McBride reports from Beijing.
