The gap between China’s military and its regional counterparts is widening, with Beijing announcing a 6.8 per cent rise in defence spending on Friday that observers say will stoke concerns among its neighbours. While the budget increase is just 0.2 of a percentage point more than last year’s growth, it is the biggest expansion in military spending in Asia. The finance ministry said funding for the military would reach 1.355 trillion yuan (US$209 billion) in 2021, while Premier Li Keqiang told the opening session of the national legislature that the People’s Liberation Army would get a training boost to improve combat readiness. “China can still afford 6.8 per cent when other countries may have to bear with stagnation or cutbacks on defence spending in order to prioritise their Covid-19 response,” said Dr Collin Koh, a Research Fellow in the maritime security programme at RSIS.