China's military will respond if 'provoked' by neighbours, says official

The army's modernisation will continue and Beijing will respond to any provocation from neighbouring countries, a government official said yesterday.

The country was committed to its peaceful development, but "peace can only be maintained by strength", said Fu Ying a spokeswoman for the National People's Congress session that opens in Beijing today.

Her remarks came amid heightening tensions with neighbours over territorial disputes in the East and South China seas and ahead of today's announcement of the national defence budget for the year ahead.

China's officially declared military spending has been growing at an average rate of 10 per cent annually since 2011, reaching 720 billion yuan (HK$911 billion) last year - second only to the United States.

Fu defended the rise in military spending, saying it was for defensive purposes and that China wanted to peacefully coexist with its neighbours.

"Our people couldn't live and work in peace and contentment if we don't have a strong and powerful defence capability," she said. "Chinese people might also ask, 'if our country becomes powerful and prosperous, but our defence capability is very weak, [does it] also indicate that we are peaceful?'"

She said China supported resolving territorial disputes through negotiation, but the military would step in if there were provocations.