China on Friday welcomed the joint declaration reached between the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) and the Republic of Korea (ROK), expressing the hope that both sides can implement the consensus of the summit to promote reconciliation and cooperation.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lu Kang made the remarks in a statement issued after DPRK leader Kim Jong Un and ROK President Moon Jae-in held a signing ceremony for the joint declaration, titled the Panmunjom Declaration for Peace, Prosperity and Unification of the Korean Peninsula, at Peace House on the ROK side of the Joint Security Area, often referred to as Panmunjom after the nearby village where the 1953 Korean Armistice Agreement was signed.

"China always supports the two sides in building up mutual trust and improving their relations through dialogue and consultation," Lu said in the statement, adding "This is in the interests of the two sides and the region, and in line with the shared aspiration of the international community."

According to the statement, China hoped all parties can maintain the momentum for dialogue and can jointly promote the political resolution process for the Korean Peninsula issue. China is willing to keep playing a pro-active role in this regard, it added.

Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump hailed the "great help" provided by Chinese President Xi Jinping on the inter-Korean issue.

"Please do not forget the great help that my good friend, President Xi of China, has given to the United States. Without him it would have been a much longer, tougher, process!" Trump tweeted.

Kim and Moon confirmed a common goal of complete denuclearization and agreed to push for multilateral talks to turn the current armistice agreement into a peace treaty after their first-ever summit meeting in Panmunjom.

Trump also praised the inter-Korean summit as fruitful, tweeting that "KOREAN WAR TO END! The United States, and all of its GREAT people, should be very proud of what is now taking place in Korea!" 

"Good things are happening, but only time will tell!" he added.