China’s premier to attend North Korea’s 80th party celebrations

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.