China's development will not affect other countries, Premier Wen Jiabao said here Sunday.

China has always adhered to the path of peaceful development, Wen told a press conference after the conclusion of the annual session of the National People's Congress (NPC).

The country has never sought hegemony in the past, and would never do so as a developed country in the future, he said.

But China has always been steadfast in safeguarding its sovereignty and territorial integrity, even when it was still poor, the Premier added.

Commenting on calls for China to shoulder more responsibilities in international affairs, Wen stressed that China is currently still a developing country.

"Although China's economy saw fast development in recent years, the country still has problems such as unbalanced development between urban and rural areas as well as among different regions, a large population, and a weak economic foundation," he said.

"We are truly at the primary stage of development," Wen said, adding that big cities like Beijing and Shanghai cannot represent the whole of China.

He said China still has to make strenuous efforts to build a better-off society in all aspects.

The country has to wait till the middle of this century to become a developed country of medium level, Wen said, adding that it might take a hundred years or even more to realize modernization.

Meanwhile, he said China is a responsible country, and has played an active role in international cooperation, and in the handling of major economic and political issues in the world.

The country's aid to developing countries has been unconditional, he said.

(Xinhua News Agency March 14, 2010)