General says Chinese military no threat

WASHINGTON, Oct. 27 (UPI) -- China's military, committed to peaceful development, is not a threat to any country including the United States, a Chinese military leader said in Washington.

"We are now predominantly committed to peaceful development and we will not and could not challenge or threaten any other country" and "certainly not the United States," Gen. Xu Caihou, vice chairman of China's military commission, said Monday while speaking at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a Washington think tank, China Daily reported.

Xu said China wants to invigorate military-to-military relations with the United States but added alleged recent incursions by U.S. naval vessels into China's 200-mile economic zone were an infringement on its sovereignty.

He also said U.S.-China relations underwent a "smooth transition" since President Barack Obama took office.

The newspaper referred to U.S. concerns about China's unprecedented military expansion and U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates' call for dialogue to avoid any mistake or miscalculation, and quoted the Chinese general as saying: "I want to make clear that the limited weapons and equipment of China is entirely to meet the minimum requirements for meeting national security. We will never seek hegemony, military expansion or an arms race."

Xu also said China's defense spending was 1.4 percent of its gross domestic product, whereas the U.S. defense spending was 4.8 percent of its GDP.

Xu's visit comes ahead of Obama's planned visit to China next month.