Democratic Republic of the Congo's President Felix-Antoine Tshisekedi Tshilombo (center) and Pope Francis leave the garden of the Palace of the Nation at the end of the meeting of the authorities, the civil society and the diplomatic corps in Gombe, Kinshasa on Jan 31, 2023. (PHOTO / AFP)

BEIJING – President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo Felix-Antoine Tshisekedi Tshilombo will pay a state visit to China from May 24 to 29 at the invitation of Chinese President Xi Jinping, foreign ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying announced on Monday.

In response to a question concerning the visit, Mao Ning, another ministry spokesperson, said at a press briefing that the DRC is an important country in Africa, and China and the DRC enjoy a time-honored friendship. For more than half a century, the two sides have supported each other on issues involving each other's core interests and major concerns.

In recent years, the two countries have deepened political mutual trust, achieved fruitful results through practical cooperation, and cooperated closely on international and regional affairs. President Tshisekedi attaches importance to relations with China and actively supports the development of China-DRC relations, Mao said.

During the visit, President Xi will host a welcome ceremony and banquet for President Tshisekedi. The two heads of state will hold talks and jointly attend a ceremony for signing cooperation documents. Chinese Premier Li Qiang and China's top legislator Zhao Leji will meet with President Tshisekedi, respectively, Mao said.

Mao expressed the belief that President Tshisekedi's visit will inject new impetus into the comprehensive and in-depth development of China-DRC relations and promote their friendly cooperation to register new achievements.