In a phone conversation on Thursday with his new South Korean counterpart Moon Jae-in, Chinese President Xi Jinping (pictured) said "both sides should respect each other's major concerns and legitimate interests and try best to seek common ground and handle disputes properly." Xinhua reported the head of the world's most populous state congratulated him on the election and stressed the two countries are close neighbors as well as important players in the region.
The achievements since the establishment of diplomatic relations two and a half decades ago "deserve to be cherished," Xi added and called for bilateral relations to be strengthened for peace, stability and development. He said he hopes the government in Seoul will "be mindful of China's major concerns."
South Korean Yonhap reported the two presidents agreed to push for the denuclearization of North Korea. Moon's press secretary Yoon Young-chan noted this was the first time that a head of Chinese state called a new president to congratulate. Bilateral issues will first be addressed through special envoys, he added and revealed Xi invited Moon to visit his country. The agency underscored the new president had expressed the view during the campaign that South Korea deserves the right to review and reconsider the agreement with the United States about the deployment of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system in the peninsula. Yoon stated that, in the conversation, Moon cited damages suffered by people and businesses for "China's apparent economic retaliation."
