Beijing ? China’s military budget will rise 14.7 percent this year to $35.3 billion, a government spokesman said today.

The figure was announced by Jiang Enzhu, a spokesman for China’s ceremonial parliament, the National People’s Congress, on the eve of its annual session.

China has announced double-digit spending increases for its 2.5-million-member military nearly every year since the early 1990s, causing unease among its neighbors.