AKIPRESS.COM - China said on Sunday its defense budget this year will top $145 billion -- a record high.

The announcement came as lawmakers gathered for the communist nation’s parliamentary pageant -- the National People’s Congress, CBS News reported.

While the NPC is a largely symbolic event, at it’s opening ceremony the premier presents China’s annual status report to the world and sets goals for the year ahead, much like the State of the Union address in the U.S.

About 3,000 delegates -- the largest legislature in the world -- packed into the Great Hall of the People to hear premier Li Keqiang’s speech. He pledged to tackle China’s poor air quality, acknowledged the dangers of rising debt, and pegged GDP growth at 6.5 percent.