BEIJING, Jan. 25 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese defense ministry spokesman on Thursday told foreign critics not to waste time drumming up the "China military threat" hype.

"Some people just cannot accept the development of China and its armed forces. They speculate about the so-called 'China military threat'," said Wu Qian, spokesman for the Ministry of National Defense, at a press conference. "They should adjust this 'sick mentality'."

He was responding to a question about a U.S. consultancy's assessment of China's growing influence as a major risk facing the world in 2018.

The growth of China is a matter of fact and will only contribute to promoting world peace, Wu said.

"It does not matter whether people speculate on, sabotage, or contain [China]. All are a waste of time," he said.