Kim Jong-un meets Xi Jinping for 3rd time; both sides reaffirm friendship

North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un met Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing on Tuesday, June 19 - the third time inside three months - where the latter hailed Kim's summit with US President Donald Trump exactly a year ago on June 12 and expressed hope that Pyongyang and Washington will be successful in implementing the results of their historic meeting in Singapore.

At the end of the first ever summit between a North Korean leader and a sitting US president, the two sides inked agreements on complete denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula and setting up a peace mechanism for the region.

Xi said the visit by Kim showed the seriousness North Korea attaches to the strategic communication between the two old allies, China Global Television Network (CGTN) said. Kim's earlier two visits - in March end and early May - were more secret affairs but the third was confirmed prior to the visit which meant Kim has grown in confidence to engage with the international community openly and more often.

Xi also said that the three meetings that took place between him and Kim showed the direction in which the relations between the two countries and their two parties progressed and opened a new chapter in the development of the Beijing-Pyongyang ties, CGTN report added.

"No matter the changes in the international and regional situation, China's ruling party's and government's resolute position on being dedicated to consolidating and developing China-DPRK relations will not change," Xi was quoted by CGTN as said.

"The Chinese people's friendship for the DPRK people will not change, and China's support for socialist DPRK will not change."

The Chinese president was pleased that North Korea decided to promote economic reforms and also offered to help it.

The North Korean director, who a few months back was a terror for the international community because of his stubborn nuclear ambitions, thanked the Chinese side and backed to promote the bilateral relations between the two to the next level, the report added.

Kim told Xi that he was thankful to China for promoting the denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula and playing an important role in safeguarding the region's peace and stability.