Top Chinese nuclear envoy arrives for talks in Seoul

China's top nuclear envoy on Sunday arrived in Seoul for talks with his South Korean counterpart, amid lingering tensions caused by North Korean missile launches and hardening rhetoric.

Liu Xiaoming, special representative on Korean Peninsula affairs, told reporters that he will meet officials of the incumbent and incoming Korean governments to discuss "political solutions" for Korean peninsula issues.

Touching on pending issues related to North Korea, the envoy said that said that it's up to the U.S and North Korea to resolve issues on the Korean Peninsula, not China.

Asked about his stance about the North's nuclear threats, he said, "Although we are in support of denuclearization (of the peninsula), I believe each country's security should also be taken into consideration. (We will discuss) not only the phenomena that has emerged outwardly, but also their root causes."

The root cause of the hostility between the U.S. and North Korea is distrust running deep between them, and to resolve the distrust, they need to have meaningful and sincere dialogue, Liu said.

"We object to any hostile act which will escalate tensions on the Korean peninsula. We hope we will find ways to lower tensions in Korean peninsula issues through consultations with the South," he said.

Liu will hold talks with Noh Kyu-duk, special representative for Korean Peninsula peace and security affairs, on Tuesday to share their assessments on the recent grave security situation on the peninsula and discuss ways to cooperate for the stable management of the situation.

He is also expected to meet with senior officials from the foreign affairs and unification ministries, as well as the National Security Council. (Yonhap)