China's defense budget is much smaller than that of the United States despite the expected rise of 14.7 percent this year, Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing said Tuesday.

The per capita defense budget of China is only one-seventy- seventh that of the United States, Li said at a press conference held on the sideline of the ongoing annual full session of the National People's Congress, China's top legislature.

The increase will bring China's defense budget to 280.729 billion yuan (US$35 billion) in 2006.

People should learn to see through the figure and seek basic facts behind the percentage, Li said.

It is well known that China takes a defensive strategy, the minister said.

Li made the remarks while answering a question from a reporter of Bloomberg based in the United States.

(Xinhua News Agency March 7, 2006)