SEOUL/BEIJING (Reuters) -Chinese Premier Li Qiang will lead a Chinese delegation to North Korea to participate in celebrations of the 80th anniversary of its ruling party on Friday, North Korean state media KCNA reported.
China’s foreign ministry confirmed Li’s visit from October 9 to 11 in a separate announcement on Tuesday and said China is willing to take the opportunity to strengthen communication and deepen partnerships with North Korea.
A delegation from Russia’s United Russia party, led by chairman Dmitry Medvedev, is also scheduled to attend the event commemorating the founding of the Workers’ Party of Korea on Friday, KCNA reported earlier.
Last month, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un joined Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin to attend a massive military parade in Beijing marking the 80th anniversary since Japan’s defeat at the end of World War Two, a move seen to be aimed at bolstering Kim’s diplomatic standing.
Vietnam’s Communist Party chief To Lam will also attend North Korea’s party anniversary event this week, in the first visit of a Vietnamese leader in nearly 20 years, while Laotian President Thongloun Sisoulith is also scheduled to visit.
(Reporting by Jihoon Lee in Seoul and Beijing newsroom; Editing by Tom Hogue, Ed Davies)
