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.

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

Donald Trump suggested on social media that the U.S. might stop doing business with South Korea, but in a meeting with President Lee Jae Myung, no tension emerged.