Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji on April 9 reaffirmed that China's growth will pose no threat to the United States, but will instead offer opportunities for the United States to advance its business interests.

The Chinese premier, who is paying an official visit to the United States, added that China is not an enemy, nor a potential adversary of the United States, but a friend of it for now and a long time to come.

"There is no way that we will become the enemy of the United States," Zhu said at a dinner banquet here attended by several hundred distinguished figures including some senior former U.S. officials.

The Chinese premier argued that China's GDP (gross domestic product) is only one tenth of the United States and its per capita GDP many times smaller than that of the United States. Even for decades to come, there will still be a big gap between the two countries. "Therefore, China is going to be the biggest market rather than a threat (to the United States)."

"I think it's time to change the fallacy of 'China being a threat' into the belief of 'China being an opportunity'," Zhu said.

The premier, whose humor aroused laughter and applause from the audience from time to time, urged American businesspeople not to miss the opportunity of entering the China market.

Zhu said he agrees with U.S. President Bill Clinton that China lags far behind the United States militarily. "So why should you (Americans) be afraid of China?" he asked.

Zhu, whose remarks focused on business issues at the banquet, said that China has a long way to go in economic development, particularly in the areas of energy, infrastructure and environmental protection; so there exist big potentials for Sino-U.S. cooperation.

The United States must lift its restrictions on technology transfer to China; otherwise it may lose enormous opportunities to the Europeans, Zhu said.

The dinner was co-sponsored by the U.S.-China Policy Foundation, the Committee of 100, the Asia Society, the America-China Society, the Council on Foreign Relations, the National Committee on United States-China Relations and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

Zhu, the first Chinese premier to visit the United States in 15 years, is scheduled to leave Washington for Denver on Saturday.