BEIJING – Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and Chinese president, will pay a state visit to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) from June 8 to 9 at the invitation of Kim Jong-un, general secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea and president of the State Affairs of the DPRK, the International Department of the CPC Central Committee announced on Friday.

This visit will be Xi's first state visit to the DPRK in seven years. This year marks the 65th anniversary of the signing of the China-DPRK Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation and Mutual Assistance.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said top leaders of China and the DPRK will exchange views on bilateral relations and issues of mutual interest in Pyongyang next week.

China and the DPRK will take this visit as an opportunity to promote the bilateral relations to keep pace with the times and achieve greater development, enhance the well-being of the people of the two countries, and make greater contributions to peace, stability, development and prosperity in the region and the world at large, Mao said.