Washington's view that China's increasingly advanced weaponry could undermine US military power in the Pacific were "groundless and irresponsible," China's defence ministry said Thursday.

"China's military development is always a positive factor for both regional and global peace and stability," Hu Changming, a spokesman for the Ministry of National Defence, was quoted as saying by official news agency Xinhua.

Hu's comments were made in response to a speech by US Defence Secretary Robert Gates, who said Wednesday US naval carriers and air bases in the Pacific faced new threats from China's modernisation.

"In fact, when considering the military-modernisation programs of countries like China, we should be concerned less with their potential ability to challenge the US symmetrically — fighter to fighter or ship to ship — and more with their ability to disrupt our freedom of movement and narrow our strategic options," Gates said in a speech to the Air Force Association.

Gates speech followed Tuesday's release of the 2009 National Intelligence Strategy document, in which China's "natural resource-focused diplomacy and military modernisation" were cited as factors making it a "global challenge."

Hu said in a statement reported by Xinhua that China had "always pursued a national defence policy that is defensive in nature and unswervingly follows a road of peaceful development."

"We demand the US side to respect (this) fact, take measures to correct the wrong comments and stop doing things that undermine the military relations between the two countries," Hu was quoted as saying.

earlier related report

China slams US intel report

China on Wednesday hit out at new US intelligence guidelines which pointed to Beijing as one of Washington's main challengers, accusing the United States of having a "Cold War mentality".

"We urge the US side to abandon its Cold War mentality and bias… and stop issuing remarks that mislead the American people and harm mutual trust between China and the United States," foreign ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu said.

In a statement posted on the ministry's website, Jiang urged the United States to correct "mistakes" in the report.

The United States released its 2009 National Intelligence Strategy document Tuesday, in which China's "natural resource-focused diplomacy and military modernisation" were pinpointed as factors making it a "global challenge."

However, Jiang sought to ease fears about Beijing's intentions.

"China has always been a firm force in safeguarding and promoting world peace and stability, and China's development does not threaten any country," she said.

The US intelligence guidelines for the next four years also elevated the importance of the cyber domain, and singled out China as "very aggressive in the cyberworld."

Jiang made no reference to that specific claim.

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