The improvement in relations between China and the Republic of Korea is good news not only for the two neighbors but also for the region, since it signals the two sides are taking a pragmatic approach to the larger picture of bilateral ties, which will have a significant bearing on both peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and the forging of regional cooperation.

After the ROK stated on Monday that it is not considering any additional deployment of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense anti-missile system, and it will not participate in US defense networks or develop its security cooperation with Japan and the United States into a tripartite military alliance, the Chinese Foreign Ministry announced on Tuesday that the two sides have agreed to bring their relations back onto the normal track as soon as possible.

It was the decision by the previous administration in the ROK to deploy the THAAD anti-missile system in response to Pyongyang's repeated reckless moves that put the freeze on relations, since China views the deployment as a threat to its security.