South Korean president hears reassurances from senior Chinese diplomat

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi is greeted by South Korean President Moon Jae-in during their meeting at the Presidential Blue House in Seoul, South Korea, December 5, 2019. Yonhap via REUTERS

SEOUL (Reuters) - A senior China diplomat offered conciliatory remarks to South Korean President Moon Jae-in on Thursday amid efforts to repair ties strained by a U.S. anti-missile system, while levelling sharp criticism at the United States for "Cold War" thinking.

State Councillor Wang Yi, who is also China's foreign minister, met with Moon on the final day of a two-day visit to Seoul, his first in four years. Relations between the two countries have been strained by South Korea's installation of a U.S. Terminal High Altitude Area Defence (THAAD) system in 2017.