Beijing’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi will travel to North Korea on Thursday for a two-day visit, according to China’s foreign ministry.

The visit, at the invitation of the North Korean foreign ministry, will be Wang’s first trip to North Korea since early September 2019, when he travelled to Pyongyang for three days.

Earlier this year, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un cemented his leadership at the latest congress of the country’s ruling party.

Chinese President Xi Jinping said in his congratulatory message that he was ready to work with Kim to “open a new chapter in China-DPRK [Democratic People’s Republic of Korea] friendship”.

Air China resumes direct passenger flights to North Korea after 6-year pause

Air China resumes direct passenger flights to North Korea after 6-year pause

The visit by China’s top diplomat comes as Beijing steps up connections with Pyongyang, including a series of high-level exchanges between the two countries in recent months.