Chinese President Hu Jintao on Tuesday reiterated China's adherence to the path of peaceful development.

China's development was an important part of the development process of human society, Hu said in a written interview with France's Le Figaro newspaper and Portugal's Lusa News Agency on the eve of his visit to France and Portugal.

China's development was an opportunity for France, Portugal and Europe, Hu said.

He said China would unswervingly stick to the path of peaceful development, unswervingly abide by a mutually beneficial and win-win strategy, continue to develop friendly cooperation with world countries, and jointly promote the building of a harmonious world that was enduringly peaceful and in which all shared prosperity.

This was what both the Chinese government and its people wanted. It conformed with the trend of the times and demonstrated the integrity of China's domestic and foreign policies, Hu said.

China respected the right of the people of other countries to choose their own path of development, Hu said.

China would never interfere in other countries' internal affairs, never impose its own will on others, and was dedicated to peaceful settlements of international conflicts, Hu said.

China, with its defensive national defense policy, would never seek hegemony and would never pursue expansion, he said.