A high-ranking Chinese diplomat is visiting Seoul this week for the first time in five years as the two countries seek to improve ties amid a spat over a US anti-missile system in South Korea.
The Chinese government's top diplomat, State Councillor Wang Yi, is set to arrive on Wednesday for a two-day stay, during which he will meet his counterpart, Kang Kyung-wha, and President Moon Jae-in, Seoul officials said.
South Korea sees China as instrumental in reviving stalled denuclearisation talks between the United States and North Korea, a longtime ally of Beijing.
Wang's visit will be his first since a dispute erupted over the installation of the US Terminal High Altitude Area Defence (THAAD) system in South Korea, though he and Kang have talked on other occasions.
The United States and South Korea, meanwhile, have been locked in an increasingly public disagreement over how much Seoul should pay for hosting some 28,500 US troops.South Korea's foreign ministry said Wang's visit would be a chance to bolster relations "for new development," with bilateral and regional issues on the agenda.
Both sides are expected to primarily discuss Moon's planned attendance at a trilateral summit in China with Japan, and a possible visit by Chinese President Xi Jinping to South Korea next year.
Missile tensions
The United States suggested setting up the THAAD system to address North Korea's missile threats, and a total of six interceptor batteries were installed at the southeastern air base of Seongju by 2017.Beijing angrily denounced the move, saying the system's powerful radar could penetrate into Chinese territory and was part of a...Read More
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