Chinese Premier Li Qiang will visit North Korea this week to attend celebrations marking the 80th founding anniversary of its ruling party, the two countries said Tuesday.
Li will lead a delegation to take part in the celebrations for the Workers' Party of Korea, the state-run Korean Central News Agency reported.
The trip will be his first visit to North Korea since taking office as premier and is expected to include high-level meetings with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and other senior officials.
China's Foreign Ministry also confirmed Li's visit and said it would take place Oct. 9-11.
According to a statement from the ministry, Li -- who is also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee -- will attend events marking the anniversary and pay an official goodwill visit to Pyongyang.
The visit underscores the close ties between China and North Korea, as Li is the highest-ranking Chinese official to attend the celebrations since 2015.
The visit will also come just a month after Kim's visit to Beijing to attend China's Victory Day celebrations.
It was Kim's first appearance at a multilateral event since assuming power in December 2011.
Vietnam's Communist Party chief To Lam is also expected to arrive in Pyongyang to attend the anniversary celebrations for the ruling party.
