BEIJING - The white paper issued by the Information Office of the State Council lastweek indicates that China's peaceful development has already become a key factor inthe world balance and the promotion of peace, many foreign experts and politiciansagree.

Commenting on the white paper on China's peaceful development, Ali Ahmadov,deputy chairman and executive secretary of Azerbaijian's ruling New Azerbaijian Party,said that in view of the present circumstances, China's strategy for peacefuldevelopment is of great significance and has broad prospects.

Promoting peaceful development, improving people's lives and enhancing China'soverall strength are an important part of the concept of China's peaceful development,Ahmadov told Xinhua in a recent interview.

The release of the paper shows that, as a world power, China hates to see anyescalation in international tensions, he said. Instead, China hopes that peacefuldevelopment will prevail over other factors in world political developments, he added.

Aleksandr Voninsky, director of Australia's University of the New South WalesInternational and Global Relationship Department, said China's cooperation with othercountries including Australia in various fields in recent years reflects China's desire forpeaceful development.

Hans Hendrischke, director of the Sydney Confucius Institute, said China'sdevelopment has boosted its productivity, greatly reduced poverty and contributed tosocial stability, which in itself is an enormous contribution to world peace.

China's economic development has injected vigor into the world economy, playing agreat role in maintaining regional and global stability, he added.

Bulgarian security expert Dimitar Yochev told Xinhua that China's peacefuldevelopment has become a key factor in world equilibrium and peace. As a permanentmember of the UN Security Council, China has always encouraged the use ofdiplomatic means rather than military intervention in solving problems, he said.

Ted Carpenter of the US public policy research organization Cato Institute said thewhite paper shows that China obviously would concentrate on its own economicdevelopment rather than get entangled in thorny issues in other parts of the world.

Those Americans who thought China would pose a threat had done harm to peace inChina and the world as a whole, he said.