BEIJING, March 10 -- The Chinese government keeps an appropriate size of defense expenditure to achieve coordinated development of national defense and the economy, said Senior Colonel Zhang Xiaogang, spokesperson for the Chinese People's Liberation Army and Armed Police Force delegation to the Fourth Session of the 14th National People's Congress on Tuesday, when answering the question about "How will this year's defense budget be allocated?"

In recent years, in order to defend national sovereignty, security and development interests, and to meet the requirements of military transformation with Chinese characteristics, the Chinese government, on the basis of promoting sound and stable socioeconomic development, has maintained a gradual and steady increase in defense spending, so as to ensure parallel progress in national defense capabilities and economic strength. Based on laws including the National Defense Law and the Budget Law, the Chinese government includes defense expenditure in the annual government budget draft, which must be reviewed and approved by the National People's Congress. We manage and use the defense budget in accordance with the law and publicize the total figure of defense expenditure.

Consolidated national defense and strong armed forces provide strategic support for Chinese modernization. Taking into account the needs of national security and development, to ensure that the modernization of national defense and armed forces is in step with national modernization, to comprehensively enhance our strategic capability to defend national sovereignty, security and development interests, and to achieve the military's centenary goal on schedule, the national general public budget for 2026 allocates 1.94 trillion yuan for defense spending, an increase of 6.9% over the previous year's executed budget. Of this amount, the central government expenditure is 1.91 trillion yuan, a 7% increase over the previous year's executed budget.

The increased defense spending will be primarily channeled to the following areas:

First, in accordance with the new three-step roadmap for modernizing China's national defense and armed forces, we will advance the integrated development of mechanization, informatization and intelligentization, and enhance the strategic capability to safeguard national sovereignty, security and development interests.

Second, we will optimize the joint operations system, promote a combat-oriented and systematic development of new-domain and new-quality combat capabilities in large scale, upgrade and transform traditional combat forces, and strengthen advanced operational capabilities.

Third, we will accelerate the development of advanced weaponry and equipment and innovation in defense science and technology, and expedite the establishment of a modern logistics system.

Fourth, we will continue to improve political conduct throughout the military, take solid steps to advance realistic training, refine policies and institutions for military human resources, improve the quality of military education, and cultivate new-type high-caliber and professional military personnel.

The military will advance the reform of defense budget management, achieve a dynamic balance between the supply and demand of defense funds, strengthen whole-of-chain management and performance evaluation of defense spending, and make sure that every penny is wisely spent for the best result.