BEIJING - China urged Japan to stick to the path of peaceful development and promote regional peace and stability on Wednesday.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's cabinet made the decision on Tuesday that the controversial new security-related legislation will become effective on March 29, marking the first overhaul of the country's exclusively defensive posture in about seven decades.

The new security legislation gives a green light for the first time since the end of WWII to Japan's Self-Defense Forces (SDF) to engage armed conflicts overseas.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said that due to historical reasons, policy moves taken by Japan in the military and security fields have been closely watched by its Asian neighbors and the international community.

Last week, more than 5,000 protesters rallied in downtown Tokyo opposing security legislation.