The first round of maritime demarcation talks between China and the Republic of Korea (ROK) was carried out in a friendly and candid atmosphere, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua chunying told reporters at a daily press briefing on Monday, adding that the next round will be held in the ROK.

The talks were held in Beijing on April 22, Hua said, under a consensus reached by the two countries in Seoul last December.

"The two sides exchanged their views regarding maritime delimitation issues, and the meeting was carried out in a friendly and candid atmosphere," Hua said.

Hua said the date for the second round of talks will be determined later after consultations.

Beijing and Seoul have overlapping claims on exclusive economic zones, one of the few concerns in their thriving relationship.

During President Xi Jinping's visit to ROK in July 2014, Xi and his counterpart Park Geunhye agreed to start talks regarding the issue.