China's path of peaceful development is a blessing for the world, not a curse, and the U.S. side should make a right strategic judgment, Chinese State Councilor and Minister of National Defense Li Shangfu said on Tuesday, emphasizing that "the world will be better when emerging countries live in peace with developed countries.”

Li made the remarks when meeting with visiting former U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger in Beijing, according to the Chinese Ministry of National Defense.

As the world faces unprecedented challenges today, people around the world hope that China and the United States will shoulder the responsibilities of great countries, play a leading role and jointly maintain world prosperity and stability, Li said.

The defense minister pointed out that "some people on the United States side have not worked in the same direction with China, resulting in China-U.S relations hovering at a low ebb since the establishment of diplomatic relations.”

China has always been committed to building "a stable, predictable and constructive China-U.S. relationship," Li said, hoping that the U.S. side will work with China to implement the consensus of the heads of state of the two countries and "jointly promote the healthy and stable development of the relationship between the two militaries."

For his part, Kissinger, who also served as U.S. National Security Advisor, said that the two sides should eliminate misunderstandings, coexist peacefully and avoid confrontation.

Noting that history has proved that "neither the United States nor China can afford to treat the other as an adversary," Kissinger said that to know and deal with the relations better, "we need broad thinking and historical-philosophical discernment, as well as the wisdom of both countries to cooperate and develop together."

The two armies should strengthen communication and do their best to create positive results for the development of relations between the two countries and maintain world peace and stability, Kissinger said.