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BERLIN Cheap Nike Air Presto BR , July 6 (Xinhua) -- Visiting Chinese President Xi Jinping said here Thursday that China would like to join South Korea in bringing bilateral ties back to the track of healthy development.


He made the remarks while meeting with his South Korean counterpart Moon Jae-in ahead of a G20 summit in the northern German port city of Hamburg.


China and South Korea, two geographically close nations, share interconnected cultures and notable complementary advantages, Xi said, adding that the two sides have realized a leapfrog development in their relations since the establishment of diplomatic ties 25 years ago, which has benefited the two peoples greatly and contributed to regional peace, stability and prosperity.


"For a period of time, China-South Korea relations have been facing difficulties, and we do not want to see that," he said.


It is the common responsibility of the two sides to maintain and develop bilateral ties, he noted.


Xi also urged Seoul to take seriously China's rightful concerns and handle relevant issues properly so as to clear the obstacles for the development of bilateral ties.


Speaking of the situation in the Korean Peninsula, the Chinese leader said his country supports the new South Korean government's efforts to restart contact and dialogue with the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK).


China is committed to denuclearizing the Korean Peninsula, promoting peace and stability there, and settling the problem through dialogues and consultations, he said.




IMF chief Christine Lagarde goes on trial in France on Monday over a massive state payout to a flamboyant tycoon when she was finance minister in a case that risks tarnishing her stellar career.


Lagarde denies the charges of negligence, arguing she was acting "in the state's interest" in making the payment to Bernard Tapie, the former owner of sportswear giant Adidas and the Olympique Marseille football club.


If found guilty, Lagarde could receive a one-year prison sentence and a 15,000 euro ($15,900) fine.


Whatever the outcome, the case risks damaging the image of 60-year-old Lagarde, a former corporate lawyer who progressed through the finance ministry to her current role as one of the world's most powerful women.


The case also threatens the credibility of the International Monetary Fund, as Lagarde is the third IMF chief to face trial.


The IMF has given its full backing to Lagarde, who was named to a second term in February this year, over the case.


She will be tried by the Court of Justice of the Republic, a tribunal that hears cases against ministers accused of wrongdoing in the discharge of their duties.


- Tapie's deals -


The accusations stem from Lagarde's handling of a dispute with Tapie, a former government minister who claimed a state bank had defrauded him in its sale of Adidas.


Tapie, now 73, owned the firm between 1990 and 1993 but lost control of it after he went bankrupt. He also owned Marseille when they won the 1993 European Cup, the forerunner of the Champions Le