China says the notion of lifting sanctions should be seized as "common ground" after the U.S. and North Korea failed to reach an agreement during their nuclear summit in Vietnam.

Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Lu Kang said in a regular news briefing Friday that while the U.S. and North Korea have presented different accounts of why the summit failed, "both sides believe that the lifting of sanctions is an important component of the denuclearization process."

Lu added that China welcomes the "positive will" expressed by the U.S. and North Korea to maintain communications.

President Donald Trump praised Chinese leader Xi Jinping on Thursday for being "very helpful" with North Korea. Trump said Xi told him that he doesn't "love having a nuclear state right next to China."