China’s annual defence budget is set to officially cross $150 billion for the first time in 2017, the finance ministry said on Sunday, three times India’s planned defence spending for the fiscal year.

The ministry’s statement came hours after the exact figure for the sector was surprisingly not included in the government work report released earlier in the day.

Speaking to the Associated Press, an unnamed official from China’s finance ministry pegged the defence budget at 1.044 trillion Yuan or $151 billion, a 7% increase from last year’s outlay. The 7% hike was announced by National People’s Congress spokesperson Fu Ying. In comparison, in the fiscal year starting April, India plans to spend 3.6 lakh crore rupees or $51 billion.

No reason was offered as to why the budget wasn’t part of the work report – as is the case every year – which was released by Premier Li Keqiang at the Great Hall of the People to mark the beginning of the annual session of China’s rubber stamp Parliamen. “A ministry information officer told AP the exact figure had already been released to the almost 3,000 delegates to the NPC. But he didn’t say why it had been withheld from the government budget report, where it usually appears,” the news report said.

Beijing would continue to deepen military reforms while upholding the party’s absolute leadership of over the armed forces, the government work report said.

China’s defence budget is considerably less than that of the US though the Communist country has the largest armed forces in the world – China defence spending last year accounted for less than a quarter of that of the US.

But the Chinese government has been criticised about not being transparent enough with information about its expenditure in defence sector, which is undergoing a modernisation programme.

ECONOMY FORECAST LOWEST IN 25 YEARS

China on Sunday reduced its growth forecast to around 6.5% for 2017, down from the target range of 6.5-7% it had put itself up for a year before, a government report released at the inaugural session of the country’s Parliament said.

The closely-watched growth target for the world’s second largest economy was a 25-year low since the previous low of 6% in 1992.

Pushed down by falling demand for its goods globally and overcapacity in its manufacturing and steel sectors, China’s growth rate has fallen sharply in recent years, raising fears of a crippling slowdown.

“[China will] pursue better results in actual economic work,” Premier Li Keqiang said. “Stability is of overriding importance,” Li said.

The report said the projected target was in line with both economic principles and realities, adding it will help stabilise market expectations and facilitate the country’s structural adjustments.