Beijing applauds Seoul, Pyongyang for historic step

On Friday, Beijing applauded the historic step taken by the leaders of Seoul and Pyongyang after their handshake and summit, and said it appreciated their political decision and courage.

President of the Republic of Korea Moon Jae-in and top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea Kim Jong-un held a meeting after Kim walked across the military demarcation line inside the border village of Panmunjom on Friday morning.

Calling it a historic moment, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying told a news conference that China hopes for a positive result from the meeting between Kim and Moon.

Hua cited a famous poem by Lu Xun: "We remain brothers despite all the vicissitudes, and let's forgo our grudges -- when smiling, we meet again."

Hua added that "we look forward to both sides taking the opportunity of the summit to start a new journey for long-term peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula".