Chinese President Xi Jinping held talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on Thursday, state-run media said, a day after Kim joined Xi to view a massive military parade through the heart of Beijing to mark 80 years since Japan’s defeat in World War II.

A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman said earlier in the day that the two would meet “to exchange in-depth views on China-North Korea relations and issues of common concern.”

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun emphasized that Kim’s talks with Xi and visit to China — his first to the country in six years and his first foray onto the multilateral stage — “carry significant importance.”