The Chinese Foreign Ministry denies that China has any diplomatic friction with South Korea over North Korean leader Kim Jong-il’s visit to China last week.

Ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu Tuesday denied reports that South Korea lodged protest to China for not informing Seoul in advance of the North Korean leader's visit to China. Jiang said that both Seoul and Beijing have made clear that no such incident happened.

Jiang added that South Korea and China keep dialogue and communication channels open, and exchange opinions frequently on matters of common interest.