SKorea, China move to resolve disputes and hold summit talks
SEOUL, Korea, Republic Of — South Korea and China announced Tuesday that they will work to improve their relationship, which has been badly strained by the deployment of an American missile defence system, with Seoul saying their leaders are set to hold talks next week.
The thaw in relations comes amid increased regional tensions over North Korea’s nuclear ambitions and ahead of President Donald Trump’s scheduled visit to both countries next week as part of his first Asian tour.
Relations between Beijing and Seoul have been testy since South Korea allowed the U.S. to deploy a contentious missile defence system on its soil, triggering economic retaliation from China. China views the Terminal High-Altitude Area Defence system’s powerful radar as a threat to its own security. South Korea and the U.S. say the system is purely defensive and aimed at countering possible North Korean threats.
China and South Korea recently agreed that they should soon normalize their relations and boost co-operation for a peaceful, diplomatic resolution of the North Korean nuclear issue, Seoul’s Foreign Ministry said Tuesday.