Voice from Sydney

ABC: China announces military spending for 2010 04/03

China has announced its planned military funding for the year and while it amounts to billions of US dollars worth.

The big news is the figure has dipped well below 10 per cent - for the first time in years. The announcement comes as thousands of Chinese Communist Party officials prepare for the country's annual parliamentary meeting, the National People's Congress.

Sydney Morning Herald: China's economy loses some steam   01/03

The pace of Chinese manufacturing eased last month, suggesting slower government spending and steps to curb credit growth could be taking some of the steam out of the world's third-largest economy.

Zhang Liqun, an economist with an official think-tank, said the economy was still on a sustainable recovery course, driven by government stimulus, but faced a number of uncertainties including the drop in overseas orders.

Sydney Morning Herald: China premier: 2010 'most complicated' for economy   27/02

Premier Wen Jiabao by online video chat on Feb 27th promised to control inflation and keep China's economic recovery on track and expressed hope for an end to tensions with Washington over trade and currencies.

Wen said 2010 will be the "most complicated" year for the country's economy and indicated easy credit will continue despite a recent tightening in lending controls. He gave no indication Beijing is ready to raise interest rates, which might slow growth and affect the global economy by cutting China's demand for foreign oil and other goods. "We can keep economic development stable and fast and still manage inflation," he said.