http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/04/world/asia/05militarycnd.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

China announced its biggest increase in military spending in five years on Sunday, an increase that quickly prompted the United States to renew its calls for more transparency from the Chinese military about the scope and intent of its arms buildup.

Jiang Enzhu, a spokesman for the National People's Congress, said China's military budget would rise this year by 17.8 percent, to roughly 350 billion yuan, or just under $45 billion.

"We must increase our military budget, as it is important to national security," Mr. Jiang said at a news conference. "China's military must modernize. Our overall defenses are weak."

But China's military modernization efforts, particularly its drive to develop advanced weaponry, have been raising concern from Washington to Tokyo to New Delhi. Last year, the People's Liberation Army began deploying the country¡¯s first state-of-the-art jet fighter, the J-10.

China's defense outlays increased roughly 15 percent every year from 1990 to 2005, according to the Chinese military. This year's jump is the largest one reported since military spending rose by 19.4 percent in 2002.

Most military analysts agree that China's military focus is to build a force that would prevail in any conflict with Taiwan, and also to be capable of creating a deterrent to prevent American forces from intervening.

On Sunday, John D. Negroponte, the new deputy secretary of state, chose not to focus on the size of the latest budget increase, but instead emphasized that China needed to be less secretive about its military buildup.

Mr. Negroponte, who is touring Asia, said military officials from both countries were already holding informational exchanges, and he called on China to use these discussions to better explain its military ambitions.

"I think the point we would make with respect to military spending and military acquisition of various types would be the point about transparency," Mr. Negroponte said at a news conference in Beijing.

Chinese officials, meanwhile, assailed Mr. Negroponte over a recent weapons deal in which the United States approved the sale of more than $400 million in air and ground missiles to Taiwan. 

Chinese officials urged the United States not to send "mistaken signals" to Taiwan.

The deputy secretary said that any weapons sale to Taiwan "would be for strictly defensive purposes."

Mr. Negroponte, who last month officially became the State Department's second-ranking official, held meetings with Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing, State Councilor Tang Jiaxuan and two vice foreign ministers, Dai Bingguo and Yang Jiechi. He offered few details about the discussions, but said the topics included North Korea, Iran, trade tensions and regional security issues.

Mr. Negroponte emphasized the constructive working relationship between the United States and China. But China's military budget increase is a reminder of the growing unease in Washington about Beijing's long-term intentions. Japan and India are also watching China's military drive and increasing their own military spending.

Mr. Jiang, the National People's Congress spokesman, said that China's intentions were peaceful, and that any fears about its military ambitions were unfounded. He noted that China spent only a fraction of the proposed United States Defense Department budget of $481.4 billion for the next fiscal year.

He said China's new spending would be dedicated to increasing salaries and benefits for soldiers, as well as to overall modernization and technological upgrades.

"China is committed to taking a path of peaceful development and it pursues a defensive military posture," Mr. Jiang said. "China has neither the wherewithal nor the intention to enter into an arms race with any country, and China does not and will not pose a threat to any country."

China's technological push comes as the country continues to shrink the world's biggest standing army. Since 2003, the army's personnel has been reduced by 200,000, to 2.3 million soldiers, according to government figures. Spending is now focused on better training and equipment for this leaner force.