North Korean leader Kim Jong-il reiterated his commitment to denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula at a meeting with Chinese President Hu Jintao, China's state-run Xinhua news agency reported on Friday.
The Chinese authorities previously declined to comment on media reports that Kim visited China just over a month after a South Korean warship sunk under unexplained circumstances in the Yellow Sea near the disputed maritime border with North Korea.
However, Xinhua confirmed on Friday that Kim's unofficial visit took place from May 3 to 7.
"Hu and Kim exchanged views on international situation, situation in Northeast Asia and the six-party talks on the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue," the agency reported.
The two leaders said that "peace, stability, prosperity on the Korean Peninsula is in line with common interests of China, the DPRK and the Northeast Asian countries" and expressed their readiness to "make joint efforts for denuclearization on the Korean Peninsula," Xinhua said.
The North Korean leader also said he would cooperate with his Chinese counterpart to restart the six-party talks, which came to a halt a year ago.
"Kim said that the DPRK will work with China to create favorable conditions for restarting the six-party talks," the Chinese news agency said.
The talks, involving Russia, Japan, China, the United States, North and South Korea, stalled last April when Pyongyang pulled out of the negotiations in protest against the United Nations' condemnation of its missile tests.
The Chinese and North Korean leaders said "the relevant parties in the six-party talks should demonstrate sincerity and make positive efforts for pushing forward the six-party talks."
Kim visited China in 2000, 2004 and 2006. The Chinese and North Korean authorities traditionally inform the public of such visits after they have been carried out.
BEIJING, May 7 (RIA Novosti)
