A special envoy of Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday met with the closest aide of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, amid an ongoing pause in Pyongyang's saber-rattling.

The meeting between Song Tao, head of the Chinese Communist Party's International Department, and Choe Ryong Hae, a vice chairman of the Workers' Party of Korea, in Pyongyang was confirmed by Kyodo News.

It took place after a Chinese delegation led by Song arrived in the North Korean capital in the afternoon. At Pyongyang's airport, Song was received by Ri Chang Gun, a vice department director of the North Korean ruling party.

Song's visit comes about a week after U.S. President Donald Trump held talks with Xi in Beijing and said they agreed to "increase economic pressure until North Korea abandons its reckless and dangerous path."

It is the first known visit by a high-ranking Chinese official to North Korea in more than a year.

Trump characterized Song's visit as a "big move" in a Twitter post on Thursday and said that "we will see what happens!"

North Korea has refrained from conducting a major arms test since Sept. 15 when it fired a ballistic missile that flew about 3,700 kilometers, an unprecedented distance and enough to reach U.S. territory of Guam where key military bases are located.

On Sept. 3, it carried out its sixth and most powerful nuclear test.

China has said the main purpose of Song's visit is to inform North Korea of the results of the ruling party's twice-a-decade congress held late last month and both sides are also expected to discuss relations between the two countries and "other issues of mutual concern."

The 10-member Chinese delegation led by Song, a former vice foreign minister, appears to be staying in North Korea until Monday, a source familiar with the situation said.

Song could potentially meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un as he is a special envoy of Xi, who began his five-year second-term as general secretary of the Communist Party following the congress.

A Chinese official newspaper on Friday ran an editorial downplaying high expectations for his trip.

"Such speculation is not surprising since the belief persists that Beijing can bring some persuasion to bear on Pyongyang, and Song's trip comes so soon after Trump's visit," the China Daily editorial said. "However, while Song will no doubt have discussions on issues of mutual concern, too much should not be read into his trip."

While noting that it does not mean to dismiss the significance of his trip as it is "obviously a good sign" that China and North Korea are "maintaining communication at a high level," it said what is rather needed is "all parties to demonstrate wisdom and patience," given that the most severe U.N. sanctions are already being imposed on Pyongyang.

"Avoiding any war rhetoric and provocative actions will ensure no recommencing of the viciously spiraling tensions that were threatening to spin out of control," it said.

China has been under pressure from the United States and its allies to use more of its leverage as North Korea's main economic lifeline to push its neighbor into giving up its nuclear and missile programs.

However, China has said the North Korean nuclear issue must ultimately be resolved through "dialogue and consultation" and proposed the so-called suspension-for-suspension approach to break the stalemate.

China has argued that the essence of the nuclear issue is about security so that to begin with, South Korea-U.S. military exercises should be suspended in exchange for North Korea halting its nuclear and missile activities.

Despite the two-month hiatus, North Korea has not shown any indication of freezing those activities, claiming they are essential to deter U.S. aggression.

On Friday, a commentary of North Korea's leading newspaper, the Rodong Sinmun of the Workers' Party, called it "foolish" for the United States to call for negotiations aimed at unilateral dismantlement of the country's nuclear weapons without Washington first abandoning its "hostile policy" toward Pyongyang.

"It is our fixed stand that matter related to the supreme interests of (the country) and its people's security can never be put on the negotiating table and we have no interest in such dialogue," the commentary said.