Xi Jinping to visit North Korea on June 8-9

Chinese President Xi Jinping will pay a two-day state visit to North Korea from June 8, marking his first trip to Pyongyang in seven years, Chinese state media announced on Friday.

According to state broadcaster CCTV, Xi will visit the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) from June 8 to 9 at the invitation of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, says The AFP.

The visit underscores the longstanding ties between Beijing and Pyongyang, with China remaining a key diplomatic and political ally of the internationally isolated nation.

Visits by Chinese presidents to North Korea are relatively rare. Xi last travelled to Pyongyang in 2019, becoming the first Chinese leader to visit the country since former President Hu Jintao's trip in 2005.

The announcement comes months after Xi hosted Kim Jong Un and Russian President Vladimir Putin as guests of honour at a military parade in Beijing marking the 80th anniversary of victory over Japan in World War II.

North Korea's state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) also confirmed the visit but did not provide additional details.