China plans to spend 7.2% more on its military this year, according to the draft budget presented at the National People’s Congress on Tuesday. The increase in the defence budget to 1.67 trillion yuan (around $232 billion) was revealed at the opening of the congress in Beijing. The government had increased its military budget by the same amount last year. The growth in defence spending comes amid tensions with Taiwan and Beijing’s expansive – and disputed – territorial claims in the South China Sea. Taiwan has had an independent government since 1949, but China considers the self-ruled democra…