China announced a 7 percent military budget increase and a record 9.3 percent rise in diplomacy spending during its legislature session.The funding shifts coincide with a large-scale corruption purge that has removed nine senior officials including Ding Laifu from the military.Lin Chia-lung called for closer regional security cooperation as Beijing aims to expand its nuclear arsenal to 1500 warheads by 2035.While military flights near
Taiwan have dropped by 46 percent, officials warn this may be a temporary gesture before a meeting with
Donald Trump.