China’s air force shows off its L15 Falcon trainer at the Zhuhai Air Show in 2022. The country has a deal to export the aircraft to the United Arab Emirates.Future Publishing | Future Publishing | Getty ImagesBEIJING — China is set to increase defense spending this year by 7.2% to 1.56 trillion yuan ($230 billion), according to a draft released Sunday by the Ministry of Finance.China’s defense budget grew by 7.1% last year to 1.45 trillion yuan, faster than the 6.8% increase in 2021 and 6.6% climb in 2020, according to official data.In 2019, China’s defense spending rose by 7.5% to 1.19 trillion yuan.In a separate report Sunday about government work, Premier Li Keqiang did not mention the Russia-Ukraine war. “We should stay committed to an independent foreign policy of peace,” the report said.The work report called for “resolute steps to opp …
