The Chinese government has rebutted a Japanese defense report, which describes China as a future military threat.

At a press conference on Thursday, Foreign Ministry spokesman Kong Quan reiterated Beijing's policy of developing friendship with its regional neighbors.

Kong Quan said: "The view cited in the report was from the think tank of a Japanese leader. It shows that a very limited number of Japanese are turning a blind eye to the facts. Some figures may help to understand the facts. China's defense budget last year was about 25 billion US dollars. Though only one 25th of China's area, and having only one tenth of China's population, Japan's defense budget the same year was over 60 billion US dollars. It is clear the report was ignoring the facts." 

 "China has been reiterating its policy of seeking a friendly, peaceful and mutually beneficial relationship with its neighbors. What we pursue is regional exchanges, cooperation and prosperity for all. I also believe that the majority of the Japanese people will not agree with the report," Kong said.