China will stick to the road of peaceful development and will never become a threat to other nations, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao said on Tuesday.
In an interview with Japan's public broadcaster NHK during his visit to Japan, Wen said China will never seek hegemony.
The Chinese premier also said China follows a defense policy of a defensive nature with the sole purpose of self-defense.
China has never taken away any piece of territory from other countries, he added.
Responding to a question on the development of China's military power, Wen pointed out the level of China's defense spending is not high according to world standards.
China's military spending accounts for less than 1.5 percent of its GDP compared with the world's average of 4 percent, he said. China spends most of its defense budget on personnel-related programs, and the development of its national defense is transparent.
He said since China had been repeatedly bullied and invaded throughout recent history, it deeply cherishes peace and independence.
Speaking on the patriotic sentiment of China's younger generation, Wen said he approves their strong patriotism.
But the key point is that any people or nation should also give equal treatment to other people or nations that treat them equally, so that they could contribute to building a harmonious world, the Chinese premier said.
Research & Consulting