China rejected criticism by US Vice President Dick Cheney about its military ambitions, saying Tuesday that it is a force for stability in the world. Cheney, on a swing through Asia last week, said some of Beijing's actions were at odds with its words about its military expansion being peaceful.

In China's first response to Cheney's comment, Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang said China was opposed to the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.

"China adheres to the road of peaceful development and we are an important force in the maintenance of peace and stability in the world and the region," Qin said in a regular news conference. "Our positive and important role on the nuclear issue of the Korean peninsula is clear evidence of that."

China worked with the United States, Japan and others to broker a deal earlier this month in which North Korea, which tested a nuclear weapon last October, agreed to shut down its main nuclear reactor by mid-April as a step toward abandoning its nuclear program in exchange for energy aid and political incentives.

"Our position on the peaceful use of space has been consistent as has been our opposition to the weaponization of space and the arms race in space," Qin said.

"We have also been making efforts to promote the conclusion of a treaty on banning weapons in outer space," he said. "We are willing to work with the U.S. to ... properly handle our differences."