BEIJING - China adheres to a principle of peaceful development in its space missions and the use of outer space for peaceful purposes, a spokesman for the China National Space Administration said Thursday.

Spokesman Zhang Wei made the remarks while answering a question at a press conference held in Beijing for the release of the white paper titled "China's Space Activities in 2011."

By clearly listing "peaceful development" as a key principle that governs China's space missions, the paper demonstrates the nation's resolution in carrying out space activities in a peaceful way, Zhang said.

"It has been a common aspiration for the whole of mankind to explore, develop and utilize space for peaceful purposes," he noted.

The white paper says that China always adheres to the use of outer space for peaceful purposes, and opposes the weaponization of, or an arms race in, outer space.

"China develops and utilizes space resources in a prudent manner and takes effective measures to protect the space environment, ensuring that its space activities benefit the whole of mankind," the paper reads.

This is China's third such document detailing the progress of the country's space missions, following two previous white papers released in 2000 and 2006, respectively.