Kim’s two-day trip to China, which comes in the wake of his recent meeting with US President Donald Trump, is both a sign of loyalty to his main ally and an attempt to reassure Beijing that its interests will not be ignored as Pyongyang and Washington try to mend ties, Agence France Presse reported.
During his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday, Kim Jong-un thanked him for his "positive and sincere support and good help for the successful" summit with Trump, North Korea's official KCNA news agency wrote.
Xi also pledged China’s continued “‘constructive role” in the ongoing effort to rid the Korean Peninsula of nuclear weapons.
Last year China said that the UN Security Council could consider easing the punitive sanctions that have seriously undermined the North Korean economy.
Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un met in Singapore on June 12, marking an historic shift in bilateral relations.
READ MORE: Kim's Visit to Beijing Confirms China's Influence in Korean Peninsula — Pundit
During their meeting the two leaders signed an agreement containing four points: re-starting US-N. Korean relations for the sake of mutual prosperity, the DPRK's demilitarization and denuclearization of the whole peninsula, joint efforts for reaching peace on the Korean Peninsula and also the recovery of the remains of prisoners of war and soldiers who went missing in action during the days of the Korean War (1950-1953).
Donald Trump also promised to stop military drills with South Korea if talks with its northern neighbor progress successfully.