Fu Ying, spokeswoman for the annual session of the China's top legislature, told a press conference yesterday that the country`s defense budget will grow around 10 percent this year.

Speaking ahead of the Session of the 12th National People's Congress, Fu Ying said that the exact figures will published in the budget report on Thursday. With the proposed 10 per cent defense growth, China will maintain its multiyear run of double digit increases in defense investment, though the figure is lower than last year`s 12.2 per cent.

She justified the increase by pointing towards the need to modernize China`s army for national security