BEIJING, May 6 (Xinhua) -- China on Monday expressed its resolute opposition to a new report by the U.S. Defense Department on China's military strength, urging it to stop issuing such irresponsible reports.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang told a news briefing that this report, like previous ones, contains a large number of comments that contradict the facts regarding China's national defense policy, deliberately distorts China's strategic intentions, and widely disseminates the "China threat theory."

"Facts have fully proved that China unswervingly sticks to a path of peaceful development and pursues a national defense policy which is purely defensive in nature," Geng said, adding that China always acts as a facilitator of world peace, a contributor to global development and a maintainer of international order.

The Chinese military is firmly committed to safeguarding national independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity, and will continue to work with other countries to maintain peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific region and the world at large, Geng said.

He said China always upholds enhanced dialogue, contacts and cooperation between the two militaries to avoid misjudgement, suspicion and problems. "We urge the U.S. side to abandon the Cold War mentality and zero-sum game thinking, objectively and rationally view China's strategic intentions and national defense building, stop issuing such irresponsible reports year after year, and do more to promote the healthy and stable development of relations between the two countries and the two militaries," said the spokesperson.