Chinese President Xi Jinping met Ri Yong Ho, foreign minister of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), on Friday, calling for more efforts to advance the long-term, healthy and steady development of bilateral relations. 

The two sides can use the occasion of next year's celebrations of the 70th anniversary of diplomatic relations as a platform to ensure long-term sound and stable development of bilateral ties, Xi said, while meeting Ri at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.

China supports the Korean people under the leadership of DPRK leader Kim Jong Un to explore development paths suitable to their own national conditions, the Chinese president said.

This year has seen important, positive developments on the Korean Peninsula, bringing this issue back to the track of dialogue and negotiations.

President Xi stressed that China wishes the DPRK and the U.S. to maintain dialogue and work in the same direction to secure more tangible outcomes.

China will continue to support the all-out improvement of relations between the DPRK and the Republic of Korea (ROK), Xi added.

Ri echoed Xi's stance that the DPRK will work with China to celebrate the upcoming 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations, so as to strengthen traditional friendship between the two sides.

Noting that Kim's three visits to China in three months point to the strategic direction for China-DPRK relations, the minister said his country will stay committed to the denuclearization of the peninsula and would like to have more communication and coordination with China on the issue of the Korean Peninsula.