China has urged South Korea to take serious consideration of China’s security concerns over U.S. Terminal High Altitude Area Defense(THAAD) batteries and appropriately handle the matter. 

The Chinese foreign ministry said Beijing made the call when its foreign minister, Wang Yi, held talks with his South Korean counterpart, Park Jin, in Shandong Province on Tuesday.

The ministry posted a statement dedicated entirely to the ministers’ discussions about THAAD separately from a statement covering the results of Tuesday’s meeting.

The ministry said Yang and Park held extensive talks and explained their government’s views on THAAD.

It went on to add that the two sides shared the view that they should make joint efforts so that THAAD does not hamper bilateral relations.

Observers say that by calling on Seoul to “appropriately” handle the THAAD matter, China was apparently asking for adherence to the “Three No’s” on THAAD and for Seoul to limit the operation of already installed batteries.

The “Three No’s” policy proposed under the previous Moon Jae-in administration refers to no additional THAAD deployment, no South Korean participation in the U.S.’ missile defense network and no establishment of a trilateral military alliance with the U.S. and Japan.