BEIJING, March 28 -- Although history has repeatedly pitted rising powers against established ones, China will not succumb to the historical perversity but break away from it by sticking to a peaceful path.

Beijing's commitment to peaceful development will be on full display once again when visiting President Xi Jinping delivers a speech Friday in Berlin about China's views on history and development among other subjects.

Since China's reform and opening up, the country has surprised the world by successfully lifting hundreds of millions of its people out of poverty. It is now ready to strive for another miracle -- growing stronger peacefully and sharing the benefits with the world -- with sincerity and confidence.

The so-called "China threat" is completely unfounded. It is a fabrication rooted either in deep-seated prejudice or in a lack of proper understanding about the rapidly developing Asian nation.

Peaceful development is a historic choice China has made on the basis of both its history and the trend of the times. The Chinese people have had enough with wars and conflicts, and the world yearns for peace and development.

Some would waste no time to rebut by pointing finger at China's growing military spending. But Beijing's increasing input in defense is much easier to understand when historical background is added.

For starters, the invasions and sufferings the Chinese nation endured in recent history are heart-wrenching and mind-awakening reminders of the indispensability of sufficient defense capabilities.

Given that China's enormous size and long frontier entail relatively large defense needs and that its defense budget had been meager for years before the start of the recent growth, the increase is nothing but necessary and reasonable.

What matters most is that China is devoted to peace and stability for mankind's future, pursues a defense policy that is defensive in nature, and plays a constructive and responsible role in world affairs.

While focusing on developing its economy, China has never forgotten to share the benefits with both developing and developed countries. Its markets, investment, products, technology and work force provide huge resources and opportunities for the world. China-Europe ties and cooperation serve as a good example of win-win interaction.

Those whose minds remain stuck in zero-sum games need to come to reality and recognize that in an increasingly interconnected world there is no such thing like "the winner takes all."

Interdependence among countries across the world has made mutual benefits more attainable and win-win cooperation the most viable option.

Against such a background, a stronger China is by no account a threat of any kind. Instead, it is an opportunity of peace and development for the world.