SEOUL: South Korea's government stressed on Wednesday it would make its own decisions in strengthening its defenses against North Korean threats, rejecting Chinese calls that it continues the policies of Seoul's previous government that refrained from adding more United States anti-missile batteries that Beijing strongly opposes.

The differences between South Korea and China underscored a reemerging rift between the countries just a day after their top diplomats met in eastern China and expressed hope that the issue wouldn't become a 'stumbling stone' in relations.