国内英语新闻:U.S. assertion of China military threat "groundless, irresponsible": spokesman

BEIJING, Sept. 17 (Xinhua) -- The recent U.S. comments that China poses a military threat to itself is "totally groundless and irresponsible", Spokesman with China's Ministry of National Defense Hu Changming said Thursday.

    "China's military development is always a positive factor for both regional and global peace and stability," Hu said in a statement.

    The country has always pursued a national defense policy that is defensive in nature and unswervingly follows a road of peaceful development, he said.

    The 2009 National Intelligence Strategy document released by the United States listed China as a challenger of the U.S. interests and described China as "very aggressive in the cyberworld."

    A senior U.S. defense official also said on Wednesday that China's "investments in cyber and anti-satellite warfare, anti-air and anti-ship weaponry, and ballistic missiles could threaten America's primary way to project power and help allies in the Pacific -- in particular our forward air bases and carrier strike groups."

    "We demand the U.S. side to respect the fact, take measures to correct the wrong comments and stop doing things that undermine the military relations between the two countries," he said.