China's top diplomat Wang Yi will travel to North Korea on Thursday, Beijing's foreign ministry said, aiming to deepen relations between the neighbours.
China is North Korea's largest trading partner and a vital source of diplomatic, economic and political support for the isolated nuclear state.
Air China restarted direct flights between Beijing and Pyongyang last week after a six-year hiatus over the Covid-19 pandemic, a sign isolated North Korea was gradually opening up following the resumption of train services between the capitals in March.
Wang's visit, which will last till Friday, is an "important" step in maintaining and developing China-North Korea ties, Beijing's foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning told a news briefing on Wednesday.
"China is willing to work with North Korea to strengthen strategic communication, enhance exchanges and cooperation, and continuously advance the traditional friendly and cooperative relations between China and North Korea," Mao added.
She referred to North Korea as a "traditional friendly neighbour linked by mountains and rivers".
China's President Xi Jinping hailed in February a "new chapter" in relations with North Korea as he congratulated Kim Jong Un on his re-election to the helm of the ruling Worker's Party.
Xi told Kim he was "willing to work together to ... write a new chapter in China-North Korea friendship", adding that the world was facing "once-in-a-century changes", state broadcaster CCTV said.
While China has fully reopened its borders since the pandemic, North Korea has proceeded at a much slower pace.
Prior to the pandemic, Chinese tourists made up the bulk of foreign visitors to North Korea, numbering roughly 350,000 in 2019 and providing a huge revenue stream for Pyongyang, according to NK News, a specialist website that provides analyses of the country.
