Chinese government officials were found to have sought to leave unresolved the issue of North Korea’s military provocations when they visited Seoul shortly after the North’s artillery attack on South Korea’s Yeonpyeong Island last month.

A senior government official in Seoul said Friday that China’s top nuclear negotiator, Wu Dawei, told Korean officials last month that sometimes it’s better to leave things unsettled.

Wu, who made the comment after Korean officials raised issue with the North’s artillery attack, was accompanying State Councilor Dai Bingguo on a visit to Seoul last month shortly after the North’s shelling.

Wu reportedly said that all things cannot be resolved by raising issue with them and that sometimes it’s better to leave things as they are.

In response, Korean officials asked if China assumes such a stance when handling issues related to Taiwan and Tibet, to which the Chinese officials did not give an answer.

Wu was found to have made similar comments on the sinking of the “Cheonan” naval ship.