Jakarta, CNN Indonesia --

Xi Jinping assured Kim Jong Un that North Korea is an important partner for China and that position"will not change." Xi assured Kim that he attaches great importance to the "traditional friendship" with North Korea.

At a bilateral meeting between the two leaders at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Thursday (4/9) evening, Xi Jinping emphasized that China is willing to maintain, consolidate and develop bilateral relations.

"No matter how the international situation changes, this position will not change," Xi Jinping told Kim Jong Un, as reported by AFP.

Xi also said that Beijing is willing to enhance strategic communication with North Korea and deepen mutual understanding and friendship.

"The two countries should strengthen coordination in international affairs and safeguard common interests," Xi Jinping said.

During the warm moment, Xi Jinping and Kim Jong Un also had tea and dinner together. Kim Jong Un then left Beijing and returned to Pyongyang after dinner, boarding an armored train.

Kim Jong Un and his daughter Kim Ju Ae arrived in Beijing to attend a military parade commemorating China's victory in World War II. Kim Jong Un's last visit to China was in 2019.

China and North Korea's bilateral relations were forged through the bloodshed of the Korean War in the 1950s. Beijing provided diplomatic, economic, and political support to North Korea.

(dna)