The defense chiefs of South Korea and China on Saturday discussed ways to promote bilateral military exchanges and cooperation, as well as a friction over the deployment of a U.S. THAAD antimissile defense system in South Korea.

South Korean Defense Minister Jeong Kyeong-doo and Chinese Defense Minister Wei Fenghe held bilateral talks on the sidelines of the Asia Security Summit, better known as the Shangri-La Dialogue, in Singapore.

Seoul's Defense Ministry said that the ministers shared the need to boost "strategic communications" for regional peace and stability, while agreeing that China's constructive role is crucial in achieving the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and a lasting peace.

The ministry said in order to strengthen their ties, the two sides vowed to push for various measures such as the opening of additional communication lines between their navies and air forces. Currently, Seoul and Beijing maintain one such line between their armed services.

Regarding the THAAD issue, Jeong said at a press briefing that he fully explained South Korea's stance that the purpose of its installation is to deal with North Korea's nuclear and missile threats, and that China sufficiently understood it. Jeong denied that China asked Seoul to withdraw the deployment.

Bilateral relations between Seoul and Beijing have recently shown signs of recovery, after the serious deterioration of ties following South Korea's decision in 2016 to install a U.S. missile defense system called Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) on its soil.