Matters have not been helped by Washington’s construction of a missile shield in South Korea, perceived by China as a threat because of its radar capabilities. That has caused frosty diplomatic and economic relations between Beijing and Seoul, but Moon, who has expressed doubts over the shield, offers a chance of a fresh start. His election shifts South Korean politics from the centre-right to left for the first time in nine years, a switch that also returns a government willing to negotiate with the North. The new leader made his eagerness for talks to bring peace plain in his inauguration address, contending that if necessary, he would fly to Beijing, Washington, Tokyo and “even Pyongyang in the right circumstances”.