Foreign Minister Wang Yi will kick off a two-day visit to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea on Thursday, signaling the latest efforts by the East Asian neighbors to advance bilateral ties.

Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said at a regular news briefing on Wednesday that China and the DPRK are traditional friends and neighbors connected by mountains and rivers. It is an unswerving strategic policy of the Communist Party of China and the Chinese government to maintain, consolidate and develop China-DPRK relations.

She added that the foreign minister's upcoming visit is an important step for the two sides to act on the common understandings between the top leaders of the two parties and two countries and to advance the development of China-DPRK ties.

China stands ready to work with the DPRK to step up strategic communication, enhance exchanges and cooperation, and further advance China-DPRK traditional friendship and cooperative ties, she said.

Analysts said that the visit is intended to consolidate the momentum of high-level engagement that has been building up since the autumn of last year, while also advancing practical coordination in areas such as transportation, trade, and diplomatic exchanges as well as exchanges between government departments.

In September 2025, DPRK top leader Kim Jong-un traveled to Beijing to attend commemorative events to mark the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression (1931-45) and the World Anti-Fascist War, during which he met with President Xi Jinping. Later that month, DPRK Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui visited China.

In October, Premier Li Qiang traveled to Pyongyang on an official goodwill visit and attended celebrations marking the 80th anniversary of the founding of the Workers' Party of Korea.

Economic and people-to-people exchanges between the two countries have also been growing. Chinese customs data showed that bilateral trade reached $2.735 billion in 2025, up 25.5 percent year-on-year.

Road, rail and air transportation links between China and the DPRK are now fully operational. International passenger train services between Beijing and Pyongyang, and between Dandong, Northeast China's Liaoning province, and Pyongyang, resumed on March 12 after a six-year suspension. Air China also resumed its Beijing-Pyongyang flight on March 30.

Yang Danzhi, a research fellow at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences' National Institute of International Strategy, said that China and the DPRK have maintained a regular mechanism of consultations and mutual visits, and Wang's trip shows that such exchanges are proceeding smoothly.

Against a complex regional and international backdrop, China and the DPRK need to step up communication and cooperation on issues of common concern, coordinate positions more closely in multilateral affairs, and contribute to regional peace and security, Yang said.