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Two Sessions 2020: China increases defence spending by 6.6 per cent but sets no GDP target, focuses on Hong Kong national security law
- China’s top leaders come together for condensed version of annual meeting after two-month delay because of the Covid-19 pandemic
- Government’s plans for reviving the economy, alleviating poverty and fiscal reform top the agenda
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Why you can trust SCMP
Beijing has announced an increase of 6.6 per cent in its military spending, but did not set a target for gross domestic product (GDP) growth for 2020 as the National People’s Congress, China’s most important annual political event, got under way in Beijing on Friday.
Premier Li Keqiang said a sound legal system and enforcement mechanism for safeguarding national security in Hong Kong should be established and separatist activities seeking Taiwan’s independence should be resolutely rejected.
Delayed for about two months because of the global health crisis, this year’s congress is expected to be several days shorter than usual. The thousands of deputies taking part were all tested for the coronavirus and isolated ahead of the event, while most of the interactions between deputies and reporters are expected to take place online.
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With reporters in Beijing and across the country, the South China Morning Post will provide comprehensive daily coverage of NPC 2020, starting with Li’s opening address.
Defence spending
China has increased its military budget to 1.27 trillion yuan for 2020, a 6.6 per cent rise from last year despite the economic decline in the first quarter of the year, the country’s top legislative body revealed on Friday.
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This year’s growth in defence spending marked a continuous expansion over two decades in the 21st century. The number has boomed over 12 times from 107.6 billion yuan in 1999.
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