UNITED NATIONS, March 29 (Xinhua) -- Outgoing United Nations (UN) political chief Jeffrey Feltman said Thursday that China plays an "essential role" in resolving the Korean Peninsula issue.

"I'm encouraged by North Korean (DPRK) leader's trip to Beijing. We've seen the essential role that China is playing," said the top UN political affairs official who steps down at the end of March after nearly six years in the key job that helps form UN policies and oversees UN mediation efforts.

Top DPRK leader Kim Jong Un paid an unofficial visit to China from Sunday to Wednesday, during which he met with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Noting that Asia does not have such "overlapping networks" like the European Union and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, he said the six-party talks were "the framework for a long time" in resolving the peninsula issue.

The six-party talks aimed to find a peaceful solution to the security concerns on the peninsula. There were a series of meetings involving six participating states held in Beijing.

China's role is also "extremely important in the passage and enforcement of the sanctions," said Feltman, referring to the sanctions on the DPRK adopted at the UN Security Council.

Feltman said China, as a member of the UN Security Council, had an impact on how the DPRK made its political strategy, noting that China was "helpful" in the implementation of the sanctions.

Feltman visited Pyongyang on Dec. 5-9 last year. During the visit, he met with numerous high-ranking diplomats and discussed the UN-DPRK cooperation as well as the situation on the Korean Peninsula.