The United States Sunday conveyed its serious concern to the Chinese leadership over the communist nation's military build up, saying Beijing should emerge as a "positive force" in international relations and not the opposite.
"I raised with the Chinese about issues of military balance," US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice told reporters when asked to comment on Pentagon's alarming view of the 2.5-million-strong Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) modernisation and buildup.
"No doubt we have concerns about the size and pace of the Chinese military build-up. That it is not just the Pentagon. I have made clear to people that this is a view held by the US government. This does not mean we view China as a "threat", she said.
"We just take note of the fact that there is a significant military buildup going on that is concerning. We are concerned about the military balance and the United States continues to modernise its own forces so that we can continue to be a force for stability and peace in this region," Rice said after she met with Chinese President Hu Jintao and Premier Wen Jiabao during her whirlwind tour of China.
"China is in the midst of an enormous transition domestically and this entire region is in the midst of a transition as a result of that. Our goal is to see the rise of a China that is a positive force in international politics," she said.
"China will be and is a force in international politics. We believe that there is every opportunity for China to be a positive force," Rice said.
US Secretary of Defence Donald Rumsfeld at a recent regional security conference in Singapore said that an upcoming Pentagon report would conclude China's defence spending was much higher than Chinese officials had publicly stated. Beijing had criticised Rumsfeld for his 'China threat' comment.
Meanwhile, China's state-run Xinhua news agency quoted Premier Wen as telling Rice that China would adhere to an independent and peaceful foreign policy in dealing with international affairs.
Wen said China is trying to create a stable international environment under which it can develop itself. In the meantime, China is promoting world peace and progress with its own development.
"China is not and will never be interfering with and threatening any other countries," Wen said.
Rice, who also held official talks with Chinese Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing and met with Chinese State Councillor Tang Jiaxuan separately, noted that US-China relationship is a "complex one".
"The US-China relationship is a complex one, these are big and complex countries," she said adding ties have improved dramatically over the years.
"The Chinese economy is transitioning in a way that is sometimes problematic for the American economy," she said, referring to the Chinese currency exchange policy and its impact on American economy.
