BEIJING, March 5. /TASS/. The Chinese government plans to accelerate the modernization program of China's People's Liberation Army and strengthen the combat training of troops this year, according to a government report released on Sunday at the opening of the first session of the 14th National People's Congress (the supreme legislative body).

"It is necessary to comprehensively strengthen the military management, consolidate and enhance the results of the national defense and armed forces reform, improve comprehensive planning for military combat, army building and combat training, and accelerate the implementation of important programs to strengthen national defense in carrying out tasks," the document said.

"There is a need to strengthen the integrated state strategic system and build relevant capabilities, increase the state's strength in defense science, technology and industry," the report said.

According to the 2023 draft budget circulated at the session, China intends to increase its defense budget by 7.2% this year, to 1.553 trillion yuan (about $224.85 billion). In 2022, China increased defense spending by 7.1% to 1.451 trillion yuan (about $229.07 billion at the exchange rate at the time of publication) and in 2021 by 6.8% to 1.356 trillion yuan (about $209 billion).

Many international organizations, including the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), believe that China significantly understates the official data on the military budget, while its actual volume may be 25-50% higher. According to the analysts, the published data do not include several very important items: expenditures on strategic forces, defense research and development, import of foreign weapons, People's Armed Police (internal troops analogue) and other paramilitary units. Also, provincial government spending on military expenditures is not included.