“The two countries should develop ties further to become strategic partners that contribute to peace and advancement of Northeast Asia, and the world.”

The Chinese president returned similar pleasantries, but also touched on the discord between Seoul and Beijing.

According to Seoul, Xi said that he also considers ties with South Korea to be very important, and that the two sides should “consolidate political trust, and reasonably resolve different opinions.”

Xi’s comment regarding “different opinions” has been interpreted here as a reference to the planned deployment of the US Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system in South Korea.

Beijing opposes the US missile defense system being deployed in South Korea, claiming that THAAD poses a threat to its national security. China has retaliated by subjecting South Korean businesses’ Chinese operations to stricter regulations, while Chinese media have fanned anti-Korean sentiment.

Some of South Korea’s largest companies have been heavily hit by China’s retaliation, with companies such as Hyundai Motor and Kia Motors seeing sales plunge this year.

During the Park Geun-hye administration, Seoul and Washington agreed to position six THAAD launchers in Seongju, North Gyeongsang Province as a defense against North Korea’s growing missile threat.

Although a comprehensive environmental impact study has been launched under the new administration, Moon has stated on a number of occasions that its aim is not to scrap the agreement, but to secure “procedural legitimacy” in THAAD deployment. In addition, Moon has also ordered the Ministry of National Defense to begin talks with Washington to deploy four additional THAAD launchers after Pyongyang’s second ballistic missile launch in July.

In addition to the presidents, South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha and her Chinese counterpart Wang Yi also exchanged messages. Kang called for the further strengthening of ties, and for Beijing’s cooperation in resolving North Korean issues, while Wang expressed hopes to further build “mutual understanding and trust.”

With relations strained, events marking the 25th anniversary appear to have been toned down.

At the event organized by South Korea’s embassy in Beijing, China was represented by Wan Gang, the science and technology minister and vice chief of a parliamentary advisory body. Wan’s rank in the Chinese government has sparked speculations that a feud over THAAD may be behind his selection. In comparison, the 20th anniversary event was attended by Xi, who was the then vice president.

(cheesuk@heraldcorp.com)