BEIJING (AP) — North Korean state media say the country's leader Kim Jong Un thanked Chinese President Xi Jinping for his support in last week's groundbreaking summit with President Donald Trump.

Kim was in Beijing on Wednesday during his third visit to China this year, underscoring the major improvement in relations between the communist neighbors.

A report by the Korean Central News Agency said Kim expressed his gratitude to Xi in a meeting on Tuesday, during which Xi "gave high appreciation and extended heartfelt congratulations" to Kim over the summit.

KCNA said that during a banquet hosted by Xi, Kim also said Pyongyang and Beijing are seeing their ties developing into "unprecedentedly special relations."

At the summit with Trump, Kim pledged to work toward denuclearization in exchange for U.S. security guarantees.