China said on Wednesday that it hopes to forge effective cooperation with the United States in the Asia-Pacific region.

"China fully understands the U.S. interests in the Asia-Pacific region and hopes to forge effective cooperation with it to jointly promote the stability and prosperity of the region", Vice Foreign Minister Cui Tiankai said in Beijing.

Cui made the remarks when addressing a press briefing about Chinese President Hu Jintao's upcoming visit to the United States.

Hu will pay a state visit to the United States at the invitation of U.S. President Barack Obama from Jan. 18 to 21.

Cui said that he hoped the United States fully understand and respect China's interests in the region, saying only mutual understanding and respect could form a strong basis for the two nations to coordinate and cooperate on the regional issues.

"The current strong and stable growth in the Asia-Pacific could not have been achieved if China and United States had failed to establish and develop their cooperation in the region," Cui stressed.

He said the past 30 years had proved that China and United States could achieve win-win cooperation that also benefits the region's development.

Cui also noted, in reply to a reporter's question, that China also expected to work with the United States to push forward efforts to achieve a non-nuclear Korean Peninsula.