South Korea China Diplomacy

North Korea's rare swipe at China this week underscored how Beijing and Pyongyang do not entirely see eye-to-eye on the latter's illicit nuclear weapons arsenal, despite warming ties in other areas, analysts and officials in South Korea said.

South Korean, Chinese and Japanese leaders were set to meet in Seoul Monday for their first trilateral summit in nearly five years, after the nuclear-armed North announced plans to put another satellite into orbit.

A dissident who escaped China on a jet ski was convicted of illegal entry by a South Korean court Thursday but given a suspended jail sentence, his representative said.

China hosted the leaders of squabbling neighbours South Korea and Japan on Tuesday, flexing its diplomatic muscle with America's two key military allies in Asia and seeking regional unity on how to deal with a belligerent North Korea.

China's President Xi Jinping offered encouragement for South Korea's initiative to nurture peaceful engagement with North Korea, and Russia also expressed support, the South Korean official leading diplomatic efforts said on Thursday.

South Korean military vessels started an operation on Friday to repel Chinese fishing boats illegally harvesting prized blue crabs from an area near Seoul's disputed sea boundary with North Korea.

North Korea's rare swipe at China this week underscored how Beijing and Pyongyang do not entirely see eye-to-eye on the latter's illicit nuclear weapons arsenal, despite warming ties in other areas, analysts and officials in South Korea said.

South Korean, Chinese and Japanese leaders were set to meet in Seoul Monday for their first trilateral summit in nearly five years, after the nuclear-armed North announced plans to put another satellite into orbit.

A dissident who escaped China on a jet ski was convicted of illegal entry by a South Korean court Thursday but given a suspended jail sentence, his representative said.

China hosted the leaders of squabbling neighbours South Korea and Japan on Tuesday, flexing its diplomatic muscle with America's two key military allies in Asia and seeking regional unity on how to deal with a belligerent North Korea.

China's President Xi Jinping offered encouragement for South Korea's initiative to nurture peaceful engagement with North Korea, and Russia also expressed support, the South Korean official leading diplomatic efforts said on Thursday.

South Korean military vessels started an operation on Friday to repel Chinese fishing boats illegally harvesting prized blue crabs from an area near Seoul's disputed sea boundary with North Korea.