China, South Korea gap remains over U.S. missile defense on peninsula

Dec. 23 (UPI) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping requested a "proper resolution" to the presence of U.S. missile defense on the Korean Peninsula during a rare summit with South Korean President Moon Jae-in.

During the meeting in Beijing, Xi mentioned THAAD, the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense batteries in central South Korea, South Korean news service Newsis reported Monday. China has claimed THAAD could be used to monitor Chinese military movements within its borders.

Moon told Xi South Korea's position is "unchanged," and that he supports the presence of U.S. missile defense on the peninsula. He had previously suggested suspending THAAD deployment during his 2017 presidential campaign, then reversed course after he assumed office.

Moon is in China for a trilateral summit of Northeast Asian leaders that has taken place since 2008. On Tuesday, he is expected to meet with Chinese Premier Li Keqiang and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in the city of Chengdu.

Moon and Abe are scheduled to hold a bilateral summit that could ease trade tensions that began in July, when Tokyo enforced trade restrictions targeting South Korean tech firms and removed Seoul from its "white list" of preferred trading partners.

South Korean newspaper Asia Business reported Monday the two countries' foreign ministers will meet to discuss working-level matters, including the export control measures and a South Korean order requiring Japanese firms to compensate former Korean wartime laborers.

The top diplomats' discussion would take place while Moon and Abe focus on more "future-oriented discussions" that can improve ties, according to the report.

THAAD's deployment on the peninsula has drawn criticism from Russia as well as China in the past.

Moscow is also voicing increased concern over potential U.S. deployment of intermediate-range missiles in either South Korea or Japan, Kyodo News reported Monday.

Sergey Lavrov, who recently visited with President Donald Trump at the White House, claimed Monday U.S. missiles in Japan or Korea could reach the Ural region of Russia.

In August, the United States formally withdrew from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty, citing Russian non-compliance.