WASHINGTON – Chinese President Hu Jintao sought Thursday to assure U.S. business executives with ties to China that his country is not a military threat to the United States but an economic partner ready to help lead the world to full recovery from the deepest financial crisis in generations.

"We will remain committed to the path of peaceful development," Hu told a U.S.-China Business Council luncheon. "We do not engage in arms races, we are not a military threat to any country. China will never seek to dominate or pursue an expansionist policy."

The group, made up of U.S. business leaders whose companies have significant dealings within China, proved a far more receptive audience than the Chinese leader found an earlier meeting on Capitol Hill, where Hu drew fire over China's human rights policies and other practices from some of the harshest U.S. congressional critics.