UNITED NATIONS, March 28 (Xinhua) -- United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Wednesday welcomed the meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Kim Jong Un, the top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK).

"Following the recent talks held in Beijing between the leaders of the People's Republic of China and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), the secretary-general welcomes the reported commitment by the DPRK to denuclearization," said Farhan Haq, Guterres' deputy spokesman, in a statement.

"He (Guterres) views the latest positive developments as the start of a longer process of sincere dialogue, leading to sustainable peace and denuclearization on the Korean Peninsula," said the statement.

Kim paid an unofficial visit to China from Sunday to Wednesday, during which he met with Xi in Beijing.

Earlier on Wednesday, Haq told a daily press briefing that the UN secretary-general "welcomes any steps that would lead to the peaceful denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula."

Brenden Varma, spokesman for General Assembly President Miroslav Lajcak, told the same press briefing: "The president supports all efforts that would eventually lead to the peaceful denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula."