China’s FM visits S. Korea to reset ties amid dispute over US anti-missile systems

China’s State Councilor Wang Yi, who also serves as foreign minister, arrived in Seoul on Wednesday to repair ties which soured over the deployment of US anti-missile systems in 2017. Making his first visit to the South Korean capital in over four years, Wang met South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha and is set to meet President Moon Jae-in on Thursday.

Calling the two countries “close neighbors, friends, and partners,” Wang reportedly said they should work together to keep “regional peace and stability.”

The agenda for meetings is likely to include plans for a trilateral summit with Japan to be held in China later in December, a possible visit by Chinese President Xi Jinping, as well as the stalled talks with North Korea, according to Yonhap.

South Korea is also seeking to open additional military hotlines with China after their defense ministers discussed the issue on the sidelines of a conference in Bangkok last month, Reuters said.