ANKARA

China on Thursday urged the US and South Korea to uphold their non-proliferation obligations after reports that Washington has approved Seoul’s plan to build nuclear-powered submarines.

Responding to a question about the Wednesday South Korea–US summit, where the two countries' leaders reportedly discussed advancing the construction of nuclear-powered submarines, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said Beijing had taken note of the reports.

"China hopes that both South Korea and the United States will earnestly fulfill their nuclear non-proliferation obligations and do things that promote regional peace and stability, not the opposite,” Guo said.

Guo emphasized that China adheres to the path of peaceful development, pursues a defensive national defense policy and a good neighborly foreign policy, and has always been a pillar in safeguarding regional peace and stability.

On Thursday, President Donald Trump said that he has approved South Korea's plan to build a nuclear-powered submarine and added: "Rather than the old-fashioned, and far less nimble, diesel-powered submarines that they have now."

Trump also announced that South Korea has agreed to a sweeping economic and defense package with the US.

"South Korea has agreed to pay the USA 350 Billion Dollars for a lowering of the Tariffs charged against them by the United States," he said on his Truth Social platform.