SOUTH Korean President Moon Jae-in began his first state visit to China yesterday to soothe relations strained by the US deployment of an anti-missile system in South Korea.

Moon is also expected to discuss the North Korean nuclear crisis during his four-day trip, which includes talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping today.

The US military installed the THAAD (Terminal High Altitude Area Defense) system in South Korea earlier this year. China considers the deployment a threat to its own security, and has demanded that South Korea formally promise not to deploy any more THAAD launchers and not to join any regional US missile defense system.

Moon’s office said he wanted to “normalize” ties with China.