The United States is working to stop China's economic retaliation over the deployment of a US anti-missile system in South Korea, a politician here quoted an American diplomat as saying Thursday.

Joseph Yun, the US special representative for North Korea policy, met with Rep. Park Jie-won, chief of the minor centrist People's Party, during a four-day visit to the Asian ally.

Park later told reporters at the National Assembly that he "strongly protested" China's economic retaliation over Washington's deployment of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system in South Korea.

China has banned tour packages to South Korea and cut off other bilateral ties in apparent anger over the deployment, which it claims is a threat to its security.

Yun replied that the US "expects China's economic sanctions to be resolved in the near future and is working on it," Park said.

The diplomat expressed hope for a good outcome from Chinese President Xi Jinping's visit to Washington next month, saying he has held "in-depth talks" over the THAAD issue with US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, Park added.

"It sounded like they were quite optimistic and had various (plans) for Xi Jinping's visit," he said. (Yonhap)