China still legs far behind the United States and other Western countries in weaponry systems and military modernization, although the first test flight of the J-20 stealth fighter jet is a landmark achievement, Rear Admiral Yang Yi wrote in a commentary for the overseas edition of People's Daily.

Yang, a research fellow at the Institute of Strategic Studies, People's Liberation Army's National Defense University, said the fighter jet should not be seen as a threat and China, like any other sovereignty, has the right to develop and maintain appropriate military capabilities in order to protect its national security and interests.

The criterion of deciding whether a country becomes a threat is not dependent on the strengths of its military power, but its strategic intentions and policies, Yang said.

China has increased its economic and political influence through more than 30 years of opening up and reform but it never plays the bully. Instead, it sacrifices its own interests to help countries get through difficult times, such as the financial crisis in Southeast Asia in 1997, Yang added.

"China will never seek hegemony by force of arms… China adheres to peaceful development and China pursues a national defense policy that is purely defensive in nature, posing no threat to any country. "

"The development of China's weaponry system is totally based on national defense and to safeguard state sovereignty and territorial integrity. It is not aimed at any other country or any specific target… China will not enter into an arms race with the United States."