No nation in the Asia-Pacific region is capable of encircling China and few countries would like to be part of an encirclement, said Vice Foreign Minister Cui Tiankai on Friday.

Cui made the remarks at the second Lanting Forum, in response to a question on possible crisis of China-U.S. frictions.

"China, as an Asian nation, has reasonable interests and concerns in the region. The United States also preserves its presence, interests and some historical alliances," Cui said.

He said China was willing to "respect a reasonable U.S. presence and interests in the region" while enhancing coordination and cooperation with the United States on the region's affairs, so as to pursue mutual benefits for the two countries as well as all nations in the region.

He said China maintained the principle that bilateral military alliances formed under certain historic situations should not infringe on the interests of any third party.

"It is the demand for peace, development and cooperation of people in this region, rather than any military force, that will play a decisive role in the region's peace, stability and prosperity," Cui said.

China enjoyed sound relations with its Asia-Pacific neighbors and had witnessed expanding common interests and increasing exchanges with these countries in recent years, he said.

The Lanting Forum, initiated by China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, is a platform for communication and exchanges between officials, business community, academia, media and the public.

The forum aims to create a channel to facilitate discussions on foreign policies and issues of common interests.

The theme of the second Lanting Forum is "China-US Relations in the New Era."

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