Xi Jinping sends Pyongyang a message by making first Korea trip as president to Seoul

Xi Jinping will break a long-held tradition tomorrow by visiting Seoul instead of Pyongyang during his first trip to the Korean peninsula as Chinese president, signifying the growing importance of Seoul to China's diplomacy.

Observers said the two-day trip was expected to send out a strong message to North Korea to refrain from provocation, even though officials stressed that the visit was not targeted at any third country.

China and South Korea will sign 12 cooperation agreements covering various areas, including trade and environmental protection, following talks between Xi and his South Korean counterpart, Park Geun-hye.

Also high on the agenda will be security in East Asia, including the denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula and the resolution of conflicts through peaceful dialogue, said Deputy Foreign Minister Liu Zhenmin yesterday.

The two sides would also discuss their wartime history, and the recent attempts by Japan to play down its atrocities during the second world war, Liu said.

"But there will not be any measures targeting Japan during the trip," he said.