Wang added that China's policy is to maintain stability and continuity with South Korea and he urged both sides to "improve national sentiment and manage sensitivities properly" to move bilateral relations forward steadily.

South Korea is hoping to normalise relations with China that have been strained in recent years, the leader of a high-level delegation from Seoul said during a visit to Beijing on Sunday, Yonhap News Agency reported.

Washington’s increasing focus on Beijing is straining the decades-old alliance between South Korea and the United States.