Beijing: Wang Huning, China's top political adviser, is scheduled to visit North Korea this week, as reported by the North's state media on Tuesday. The visit takes place amid a series of high-level exchanges between the neighboring countries, highlighted by the recent trip of North Korean Premier Pak Thae-song to Beijing.

According to Yonhap News Agency, Wang, who is a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China and the chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, will lead a delegation on an "official goodwill visit" to North Korea from Wednesday through Friday. The visit comes at the invitation of the North Korean government and the ruling Workers' Party of Korea.

Wang, holding the position of the fourth-ranking official within China's highest decision-making body, will make the trip at a time when both nations are marking the 65th anniversary of their friendship treaty. Last week, North Korean Premier Pak Thae-song was in China for events commemorating this anniversary.

The Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation and Mutual Assistance, signed by North Korea and China on July 11, 1961, includes a mutual defense provision obligating each country to support the other in case of an armed attack.

During his visit to Beijing, Pak Thae-song engaged with several of China's top leaders, including President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang, in efforts to bolster the historically close ties between Pyongyang and Beijing.

In a recent development, President Xi made a trip to Pyongyang last month, marking his first visit to North Korea since 2019. During this summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, both leaders reaffirmed their commitment to enhancing strategic communication and expanding bilateral cooperation.