Xi pledges concerted eff orts with Moon to address diff erences

Chinese President Xi Jinping said on Thursday that he is ready to make concerted eff orts with his South Korean counterpart, Moon Jae- in, to properly address the diff erences between the two countries.

Xi made the remarks in a congratulatory message sent to Moon on the 25th anniversary of the establishment of ChinaSouth Korea diplomatic relations.

With concerted eff orts by China and South Korea, Xi pointed out, bilateral relations have kept developing since the establishment of diplomatic ties 25 years ago, bringing tangible benefi ts to the two peoples and making positive contributions to regional peace and development.

The Chinese president called on both sides to treasure the achievements.

Xi stressed that he has attached great importance to China- South Korea relations, saying he stands ready to join eff orts with Moon to consolidate political mutual trust, properly address diff erences, and push for the stable and healthy development of bilateral relations.

The China- South Korea relations soured since the South and the US decided to deploy the Terminal High- Altitude Area Defense ( THAAD) system in South Korea, as its powerful radar is able to look deep into China’s territory and undermine regional security.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said the exchange of congratulatory message was consistent with usual practice.

“We hope the South Korean side can sum up and look back on the experiences and lessons from the 25 years of diplomatic relations and take constructive actions to appropriately address relevant sensitive issues and diff erences to improve relations between China and South Korea,” Hua said.

“On the issue of THAAD, China’s position is very clear, resolute and there is no change.”