South Korea is hoping to normalise relations with China that have been strained in recent years, the leader of a high-level delegation from Seoul said during a visit to Beijing on Sunday, Yonhap News Agency reported.

Washington’s increasing focus on Beijing is straining the decades-old alliance between South Korea and the United States.

On his first official visit to Japan since taking office in June, Lee met Ishiba at the premier's residence in Tokyo to discuss bilateral ties between the East Asia neighbours, including closer security coordination with the United States under a trilateral pact signed by their predecessors.