China has announced its biggest rise in military spending in three years, a strong signal from President Xi Jinping that Beijing is not about to back away from its growing assertiveness in Asia, especially in disputed waters.<br /><br />The government said on Wednesday it would increase the defence budget by 12.2 percent this year to $131.57bn, partly to develop more high-tech weapons and to beef up coastal and air defences.<br /><br />Al Jazeera's Rob McBride reports from Beijing.
