China's Xi says wants to appropriately handle disputes with South Korea

BEIJING (Reuters) - China is willing to appropriately handle disputes with South Korea on the basis of mutual understanding and trust, Chinese President Xi Jinping said in a congratulatory message to new South Korean president Moon Jae-in. Xi said he had always greatly valued South Korea and relations between the two countries, the official Xinhua news agency said in a report about the message. The report made no direct mention of North Korea or an anti-missile system the United States has deployed in South Korea that China has vigorously opposed, saying it is a threat to Chinese security. (Reporting by Ben Blanchard; Editing by Michael Perry)