BEIJING, June 7 (Xinhuanet) -- China on Tuesday refuted US defense secretary's remark on its increased military expenditure, saying the words are groundless.

    "The remarks that China's military expenditure has grown to be the largest in Asia and the third largest of the world is rootless," said Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao at a regular press briefs.

    US Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, while speaking last Saturday at the fourth Asia Security Conference, also known as Shangri-la Dialogue, said he could not understand why China increased its military expenditure with no threats from other countries.

    Liu said in recent years, along with its economic development, China slightly increased its national defense expenditure. The increased part was mainly used to improve the living condition of the officers and soldiers. "China has neither intention nor capability to develop its armament."

    In fact, last year the US military spending was 455.9 billion US dollars, 17.8 times of China which was 211.7 billion yuan (25.6billion US dollars). The US per capita military spending is even 17.8 times of that of China, the spokesman said.

    "China is a peace-loving developing country, and pursues an independent foreign policy of peace and a defending national defense policy," Liu said. It clings to a peaceful development road and is also an important strength in maintaining Asian-Pacific and world peace and stability, he said.

    "In order to reply to complicated international situation and safeguard national sovereignty, security and territorial integrity, it is reasonable for China to update its armament," Liu said.

    "Any words or deeds that create and exaggerate China's military threat will do harm to regional peace and stability," he added.

    He expressed the hope that the United States will respect truth and do more that conducive to the healthy development of Sino-US ties and regional peace and stability.

    Japan's economic aid cannot offset its wartime past

    Liu Jianchao said Japan's economic assistance to other countries cannot offset the harm it caused to Asian countries in the past.

    "Japan does not face up to history. It is trying to gloss over its past," Liu said in response to Japanese Foreign Minister Nobutaka Machimura's remarks on Monday.

    Machimura called China's criticism of Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's visits to the Yasukuni Shrine, which honors Japan's war dead, "outrageous" on Monday, and Japanese officials have complained China was ignoring Tokyo's economic assistance to developing countries.

    The Yasukuni shrine in Tokyo honors 14 convicted Class-A war criminals who were responsible for heinous atrocities during World War II, among the war dead.

    "Japanese leaders' worshiping at the Yasukuni Shrine constitutes a negation of Japan's history of aggression against other countries," said Liu. "What China and other Asian countries oppose are Japanese leaders' worshiping at the shrine and some Japanese officials' absurd and wrong viewpoints on history," he said.

    Liu said that while it is good of Japan to offer development assistance, its "wartime past cannot be erased just because the country offers assistance to developing countries."

     US-DPRK officials' meeting welcomed

    China welcomes Monday's meeting in New York between officials of the United States and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), said Liu.

    The United States was represented by Joseph DiTrani, US special envoy to the six-party talks, and Jim Foster, director of the State Department's Office of Korean Affairs. They conferred with DPRK officials on the resumption of six-party talks on the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue.

    It is another meeting between the two countries' officials since they held working talks in New York on May 13.

    "China always welcomes and encourages the contacts between the United States and DPRK, and is making efforts to promote their meeting." Liu said at a regular news briefing, adding that the meeting was quite "helpful".

    He said China will contact the relevant parties in time to knowabout the details of the meeting so as to continuously make constructive efforts for the early resumption of the six-party talks.

    "We should not lose hope for the settlement of the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue at any time," Liu said.

    The six-party talks have been stalled since last June as the DPRK accused the United States of adopting a hostile policy towards Pyongyang.

    Liu said although divergence exists among the relevant parties,they held that the six-party talks should move on.

    He called on all the parties to keep patient and play constructive role in promoting the early resumption of the new round of six-party talks. Enditem

¡¡ China supports Pakistan, Iran, India becoming SCO observers

    At the press conference, Liu also said that China welcomes and supports Pakistan, Iran and India becoming observers of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO).

    At a SCO foreign ministers' meeting held last Saturday in Astana, capital of Kazakhstan, SCO member states agreed in principle to give the three countries SCO observer status. The SCOwill make a formal decision on the issue at the forthcoming SCO summit, scheduled to be held in Astana in July.

    Liu said the three are influential countries in the region, and China believes for them to become SCO observers will further promote mutual-beneficial cooperation between them and the SCO.

    Foreign ministers from China, Kazakhstan, Russia and Tajikistan, and vice foreign ministers from Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan attended last Saturday's meeting, with Mongolian foreign minister attendingthe meeting as an observer.

    The foreign ministers discussed furthering SCO cooperation and preparations for the forthcoming SCO summit, and they also exchanged views on other international and regional issues.

    The SCO, set up in June 2001 to promote regional cooperation and fight terrorism, extremism and separatism, groups China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. Enditem