Beijing, Nov 9 (IANS): Terming the China threat theory "ridiculous", a state-run daily said Friday that the country had "shown its determination to break the old pattern that a major power was bound to seek hegemony".

A day after the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China began here, an article in People's Daily said that by putting forward and promoting the idea of building a harmonious world, China had also shown its "its sincerity, belief, and ability in handling international affairs".

"Such ridiculous theories as the `China threat' theory, `China responsibility' theory, and `China collapse' theory have emerged one by one along with China's rise, which reflects the fierce international competition and the Asian country's growing influence," it added.

It pointed out that China has never invaded other countries, and has presented an image as a major power open to the world.

The article stressed that China is undisputedly an important force in promoting multi-polarization.

"The country will make greater contributions to human civilization as long as it shows no fear of outside interference, adheres to its own development path, and do its own things well.

"This is China's solemn commitment to the world," it pledged.

The article went on to say that 10 years ago, it was time-consuming to apply for a passport due to the cumbersome procedure.

"While today, applying for an electric passport with self-service clearance function only takes less than five days. In 2011, China's outbound tourists flow exceeded 70 million, surpassing the United States in scale," it said.

This is "a testimony to the continuous growth of a large developing country and its international influence", the daily added.

"Facing the ever-changing international situation, China has always been holding the banner of peace, development and cooperation on its road of development and has become an important participant, builder and contributor of the international system."