North Korean leader Kim Jong Un told Chinese President Xi Jinping that he has an "unwavering will" for the "stable development" of bilateral relations, state media reported on Friday after the two leaders met in Beijing.

They held talks on Thursday evening in the Great Hall of the People in the Chinese capital, where Kim confirmed the "friendly feelings" between the two countries, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) in Pyongyang reported.

"The unwavering will of the KWP (Korean Workers' Party) and the government... is to steadily develop relations between the DPRK and China," Kim said. He told Xi that relations between China and North Korea "cannot change, no matter how the international situation may change." Pyongyang "will consistently support and encourage the position and efforts" of China to defend its sovereignty, territorial integrity, and development interests, Kim assured on Thursday.

Xi, in turn, told Kim that the two countries should strengthen coordination on international issues and "protect their common interests," Chinese state media reported.

Kim arrived in Beijing on Tuesday, accompanied by his daughter Kim Ju-ae. This is his second trip abroad in six years and his first trip to China since 2019.

"Visiting China after six years, I was deeply impressed by how China has transformed and developed beyond recognition," Kim said Thursday in a video provided by Chinese state television CCTV. "What has not changed is the warm welcome... no matter how the world changes, the friendship between the peoples of North Korea and China remains constant."

In the video, the Chinese leader recalled a visit to North Korea in 2019, saying he felt a "strong sense of kinship" everywhere he went.

Kim left Beijing by train on Thursday evening to return to North Korea. | BGNES, AFP