Beijing - China's relationship with neighboring countries in Asia will be a focus of the country's foreign affairs agenda in 2011, Chinese analysts predict.

It is believed that there are going to be continuing challenges for Beijing in Asia as a whole - ranging from security to new forms of cooperation.

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"Regional security will remain a top issue for China," Zhai Dequan, deputy secretary-general of the China Arms Control and Disarmament Association told China Daily.

Citing ongoing and extensive media coverage of the tensions on the Korean Peninsula, and the uncertainty of the resumption of the Six-Party Talks, Zhai said the situation is nerve-racking.

On the other hand, observers say that due to strengthening ties between the United States and many individual Asian states such as Japan, and the Republic of Korea (ROK) among others, affairs in the Asian region are also becoming more "complex" in the new year.

China's rocky ties with Washington, spats with Tokyo, and uneasiness among ASEAN nations, moreover, have spurred widespread speculation that "Beijing is flexing its muscles".

Such misperceptions are likely to be buoyed by concerns that China will strive for more aggressive political stances by using its economic strength, Jin Canrong, deputy director of the School of International Studies at Renmin University in Beijing said.

"China's marvelous GDP performance has shaken the world, yet it does not necessarily lead to a positive interpretation by others," Jin said.

But China will go to great lengths to dismiss concerns of its worried neighbors, due to its "inclusive", not exclusive, diplomatic strategy.

Jin also pointed out that, as national interests are defined in a new pattern that exceeds the scope beyond national borders, China's reasonable moves to protect these interests will be regarded as acting tough.

In the meantime the "rebalance" of world powers will be a keyword of 2011 - but it should not be interpreted as containment, said Pang Zhongying, one of Jin's colleagues.

"Containment is only a perception when you look at the problem from an inside view, however it is the feeling that China's rise has happened too fast ... that prompted other world players asking for a rebalance," Pang added.

The global financial crisis accelerated the speed of China's rise significantly. "It should have been about five to 10 years, but the crisis actually cut it to only one or two years," said Tao Wenzhao, a scholar on US studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.

"A very big change in the global situation is the redistribution of wealth and power. Emerging economies such as India and South Africa are also helping reshape the current world order," Tao said.

"However, like it is agreed by many parties, (that) with greater power comes greater responsibility, so naturally China will be expected to do more than before," he added.

Analysts said that China's diplomacy in 2011 would not see substantial changes, while maintaining its peaceful development principles.

"We have maintained sound and stable relations with the developing world at large and made progress with Europe and Russia," said Chen Zhimin, a professor on diplomacy studies at Shanghai-based Fudan University.

And China will play a more leveraging role by an increased share in the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Chen added.

A reboot of Sino-US ties will be on top priority, analysts said, as rosy prospects in this bilateral relationship will have a far-reaching influence in the bigger picture the world is facing.

China is also to delve into the future of BRICS - an increasingly influential group that groups Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa - by figuring out its nature and where it is heading to, Chen said.

Wang Chenyan contributed to this story.