Voice from Tokyo

Asahi Shimbun: China's military budget 06/03

After 21 consecutive years of double-digit growth that prompted international warnings about the threat it poses, China's military budget this year is set to grow by a relatively modest 7.5 percent from the previous year.

But this account is far too short on specifics to be convincing.

China's remarkable economic growth owes partly to its relatively peaceful relations with its neighbors. China would contribute to stabilizing the peaceful environment by further curbing growth of its military spending and injecting greater transparency into the budget.

Tokyo Shimbun 05/03

Although China registered a growth rate of 8.7 percent in 2009, its investment-oriented economic growth pattern made it hard to guarantee stable and sustained development.

China was in search of transformation to a mode led by domestic demand and the NPC would discuss pushing forward the process of urbanization, narrowing income gaps and reforming the industrial structure in order to stimulate consumption.

Nippon Sankei Shimbun 05/03

The revision of an election act to give equal suffrage to citizens and farmers had come under the spotlight.

The Yomiuri Shimbun 03/03

The NPC session was likely to further strengthen the development mode of boosting domestic demand, make efforts to realize the integrated development of cities and the countryside, and direct more solid and health economic development.