Editor's Notes:

Each year when the National People's Congress (NPC) holds its annual session to scrutinize the government budget, world attention focuses on the military expenditure. On March 4, Li Zhaoxing, the NPC spokesman, told that China's defense budget for 2011 will amount to 601.1 billion yuan (US$92 billion), up 12.7 percent from last year. However, China's defense spending is still a fraction of U.S. outlays.

	China's Defense Expenditure
	? Soldiers to receive pay raise
	The salary of petty officers will rise most quickly, by 40 percent, while other military officers' salaries will increase by an average of 1,000 yuan (about US$152) per month.
	? Training, maintenance & equipment
	In the past two years, the increased part of China's defense expenditure has primarily been used for the following purposes...

	Media Views
	? China.org.cn: Defense anxieties unjustified
	China's increased defense budget is a natural progression as it faces domestic and global challenges.
	? Reuters: East-West military gap rapidly shrinking
	Most estimates suggest Washington still accounts for roughly half of all global defense spending each year. it would still take 15-20 years for China to achieve military parity with the U.S.
	? Global Times: No fuss to be made over military budget
	By sticking to the path of self-defense in explaining its military upgrades, China does not trigger an arms race.
China's Defense Spending 2001-2010	Forum
	Is the $91.5 billion defense budget of China reasonable?
Current exchange rate: $1 US dollar = 6.57 yuan (March 10, 2011)