A high-ranking official from China will lead a group of individuals to visit North Korea later this week, as announced by both nations on Tuesday. Zhao Leji, the head of the National People’s Congress and widely considered to hold the third-highest position within the governing Communist Party, is scheduled to visit North Korea from Thursday through Saturday, according to a statement from the Chinese Foreign Ministry. No specific details were provided regarding the purpose of the visit, which has been described as a goodwill gesture, except that the delegation will be present for the commencement of the “China-North Korea Friendship Year.” Mao Ning, the spokesperson for the Foreign Ministry, stated that “the precise arrangements for the visit are still being discussed.” Furthermore, an official dispatch from North Korea’s KCNA news agency confirmed the visit. Zhao is among the seven members of the Politburo Standing Committee, the Communist Party’s highest decision-making body, which is presided over by Chinese President Xi Jinping.