Beijing: We are no threat

Beijing made a "solemn promise" Thursday – in response to doubts from the US and Japan – that its growing power would not become a threat to other nations, the Wall Street Journal reported. In a foreign-relations white paper, it said its swift economic development during the past 25 years had created a lucrative market of 1.3 billion people for businessmen around the world and a source of cheap manufactured goods for global consumers. Everyone, including China, had an interest in keeping peaceful trade going, the paper said. Meanwhile, Beijing criticized Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Aso for making "extremely irresponsible" remarks about the so-called China threat, state media reported.