Moon’s visit could foster better China ties

Republic of Korea President Moon Jae-in’s first state visit to China is expected to boost bilateral ties after the two countries reached some consensuses on the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense missile system’s deployment, analysts said.

The four-day visit will allow the two sides to have “more candid communication” over sensitive issues so as to avoid the ROK having a “misjudgment”, said Su Xiaohui, a researcher of China’s foreign policy at the China Institute of International Studies.

Su said she expected that leaders of the two countries will discuss general policies on how to develop bilateral ties for the next stage and that the two countries will see more active exchanges, including intergovernmental and people-to-people, after the visit.

The sound development of relations between China and the ROK conforms to the historical trend and the common aspirations of both peoples, Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang said on Tuesday.

In an interview with China Central Television, Moon said that China-ROK relations have developed rapidly since the two countries established diplomatic ties 25 years ago.

However, the mutual trust between them was damaged in recent years, Moon said, adding that his trip to China is aimed at restoring that trust.

Lu responded at a daily news briefing by saying China and the ROK are neighbors and important cooperation partners, with friendly exchanges and win-win cooperation being the main theme of bilateral ties during the past 25 years.

He said China and the ROK have a common interest in promoting their own economic and social development, as well as achieving regional peace, stability and prosperity.

Moon has attached great importance to relations with China since taking office, Lu said, adding that China and the ROK have reached some consensuses on handling the THAAD missile issue.

In the interview, Moon said the ROK deployed THAAD purely for the purpose of defense, and that it is not intended to harm China’s security interests.

He said the ROK should take into account China’s concerns over the system, adding that it will be extremely careful that the system is not invasive of China’s security.

Zhang Jingquan, a professor of Northeast Asian studies at Jilin University, said he expected Moon’s visit to be helpful to solving the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue in a peaceful manner.

Xinhua contributed to this story.

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