China will always pursue an independent foreign policy of peace and its development is no threat to others, visiting top legislator Wu Bangguo said in Singapore on Wednesday.  

"China's development is one of peaceful development," Wu, chairman of the National People's Congress Standing Committee, told the opening of the China-Singapore Economic and Trade Cooperation Forum.

"The Chinese people, having themselves endured bullying and humiliation at the hands of the powers of the day and suffered prolonged wars and social chaos at home, understand better and cherish all the more dearly the hard-won peace," said Wu, who arrived in Singapore on Tuesday for a three-day official good-will visit.

"With the rare and strategically important opportunity right before us, we must take development as the top priority in our agenda of governing and developing the nation. In doing so, we need a peaceful and stable environment at global level and one in our surrounding areas," Wu told an audience of nearly 500 people.

China will "always pursue an independent foreign policy of peace and commit to safeguarding world peace and promoting common development no matter what happens on the international scene," he said.

China will continue to foster friendly relations with the neighboring countries, building good-neighborly relationships and partnerships and endeavoring to shape a peaceful, harmonious and cooperative regional and international environment, Wu said at the one-day forum.

"China's development is no threat to its neighbors, the rest of Asia or the world. It will, instead, generate a great deal of opportunities to other countries, the surrounding countries in particular," he said.

"China is, and will always be, a staunch force dedicated to world peace and common development," he said.

Wu also devoted much of his speech to efforts to promote mutually beneficial cooperation between China and Singapore in various areas.

Later, Wu attended a brief ceremony for the signing of two documents -- an agreement on the establishment of the China-Singapore Joint Investment Promotion Committee and a joint-venture contract on the establishment of Great Wall Airline Company between China Great Wall Corporation and Singapore Airline Cargo.

Singapore is the first leg of Wu's current four-nation Asia-Pacific tour, which will take him to Australia, New Zealand and Malaysia.

(Xinhua News Agency May 18, 2005)