ISTANBUL

China on Wednesday said the bilateral ties with South Korea should not be influenced by a "third party" as newly elected President Lee Jae-myung began his five-year term, state media reported.

“The driving force behind the development of China-South Korea relations lies in their shared interests, which are not targeted at any third party and should not be influenced by third-party factors,” China’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian told reporters in Beijing.

Lin was responding to questions about expectations of Beijing from South Korea under the Lee administration as China’s President Xi Jinping also congratulated the new president.

South Korea, hosting over 28,500 American troops, is an ally of the US in the region where Washington competes with China.

“China has consistently opposed taking sides and bloc confrontation,” said the spokesman, adding Beijing was “willing to work with Seoul to promote the sound and stable development of bilateral relations.”

This, Lin added, would “bring greater benefits to the people of both countries and play a positive role in advancing peace, stability, development, and prosperity in the region.”

Lee was elected on Tuesday in snap presidential polls triggered by the ousting of his predecessor, Yoon Suk Yeol, over his failed bid to impose martial law last December.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman also urged the US to "change its old habit of projecting its own behavior onto China and stop sowing discord between China and South Korea."

He was reacting to unnamed US officials who said Washington was “concerned and opposed to Chinese interference and influence in democracies around the world.”

Lin retorted: "China has always upheld the principle of non-interference in internal affairs. We have never interfered in the internal affairs of any country, nor will we ever do so."