China's President Xi Jinping will seriously consider a visit to South Korea

BEIJING: China's President Xi Jinping on Saturday said he will seriously consider visiting South Korea, Yonhap news agency reported, as part of efforts to support peace and security on the Korean Peninsula.

Separately, the China Central Television (CCTV) reported that Xi had told South Korean PM Han Duck-soo on Saturday that China is willing to work to promote a strategic partnership between the two countries. Xi, who has not visited South Korea since 2014, held talks with Han in the eastern Chinese city of Hangzhou before the opening ceremony of the Asian Games on Saturday.

The commitment to cooperation came ahead of scheduled trilateral talks in Seoul on Sept 26 involving senior officials from China, Japan and South Korea, intended to pave the way for the first summit between the three countries in four years.

Xi told Han he would welcome such a summit at an opportune time.

A Chinese statement did not mention Xi's comment or a visit to Seoul. China attaches great importance to the positive willingness of South Korea to commit to cooperation, Xi said, according to CCTV, and asked South Korea to meet it half way to maintain the direction of friendly cooperation.