China hails ‘courage’ of North, South Korean leaders

China on Friday heaped praised on the leaders of the two Koreas for holding a landmark summit, calling their handshake over the Military Demarcation Line that divides the peninsula a "historic moment".

"We applaud the Korean leaders' historic step and appreciate their political decisions and courage," foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying told a regular press briefing, according to a news agency.

"We hope and look forward to them taking this opportunity to further open a new journey of long-term stability on the peninsula."

She also cited a poem that reads: "We remain brothers after all the vicissitudes; let's forgo our old grudges, smiling we meet again."

China is North Korea's sole major ally but it has supported a series of United Nations sanctions to punish Pyongyang over its nuclear and missile tests.

Beijing has pressed for dialogue to peacefully resolve the nuclear crisis.