Moon Jae-in, the newly elected leader of South Korea, moved swiftly to mend ties with China on Thursday, announcing plans to dispatch a delegation to Beijing to resolve a festering dispute over the deployment of a U.S. missile-defense system in his country.
The plan was discussed Thursday during a 40-minute phone conversation with Chinese President Xi Jinping, Moon's office said in a statement.
However, while Donald Trump has sought the help of countries such as Russia, China, Japan, as well as South Korea in dealing with Kim, Moon is intent on adopting a more lenient approach, Newsweek reports.
Conservative U.S. media voiced fears of potential friction between the two allies in dealing with a belligerent North Korea following nearly a decade of conservative rule in South Korea that led to a hard-line approach toward the North.
Mr Moon has adopted a more conciliatory tone towards the North - backing diplomatic engagement and suggesting he could visit Pyongyang for talks. The newspaper said that Moon's election put an end to the nine-year reign of conservative governments led by Lee Myung-bak and Park Geun-hye.
"Threats from North Korea's nuclear and missile development have entered a new stage", Japan's Abe told Moon in their telephone call, according to Japanese Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Koichi Hagiuda.
Moon's win comes amid an ongoing war of words over a strategic US missile defense system being deployed in the South.
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Sharif also reaffirmed Pakistan's commitment for completion of early harvest projects under CPEC. The China Development Bank alone has earmarked US$890 billion for some 900 projects.
Moon praised Modi for his leadership, saying India was becoming a global leader on various worldwide issues, including North Korea's nuclear ambitions.
Beijing also has its own issues with Seoul. "President Moon accepted the invitation", the White House said.
Moon responded that he's aware of China's concerns and he hopes the two countries can have a greater understanding of each other's positions on the system, it said.
"We also would like him to propose a clear vision and governmental management philosophy for the future which can make all Korean people in the North and South Korea reconcile and coexist in peace".
Koh Yu-hwan, a North Korea expert at Seoul's Dongguk University, said it's not unprecedented for the North to directly contact the US legislature or government. Should Trump persist in that line, he could quickly sabotage both his North Korea initiative and bilateral relations with a vital American ally.
Moon Jae In, who easily won South Korea's presidential election Tuesday, was the beneficiary of another popular backlash against a ruling establishment perceived as corrupt and out of touch.
He and Mr Xi agreed to exchange special envoys soon, and Mr Moon said he also planned to send a delegation to Beijing to discuss the North Korean nuclear problem and the Thaad deployment, according to Mr Yoon. During his first speech as president, Moon said he would aim to sooth tensions between Beijing and Washington.
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