BEIJING - China said Friday it supports the Republic of Korea (ROK) and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) in their efforts to improve bilateral relations.

"The southern and northern parts of the Korean Peninsula are both the masters of the peninsula, and improving the south-north relations is fundamental to safeguarding peace and stability on the peninsula," Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu said.

Jiang made the remarks at a regular press briefing regarding a planned visit to the DPRK by some religious leaders from the ROK. The heads of the ROK's seven largest religious groups are scheduled to travel to the DPRK's capital of Pyongyang next week to hold talks with religious officials from the DPRK.

China hopes that the two sides will take a forward-looking attitude, give priority to safeguarding peace and stability on the peninsula, and enhance mutual trust through exchanges and dialogues in order to achieve reconciliation and cooperation, Jiang said.