For the first time in fourteen years, a Chinese president will set foot in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea on Thursday.  Xi Jinping's state visit comes at the invitation of the DPRK top leader, Kim Jong Un. That's according to an official announcement by the International Department of the CPC Central Committee. Xi Jinping's visit will last two days. This year, the two nations are celebrating 70 years of diplomatic ties. The announcement calls it a chance to build on past achievements. President Xi Jinping is scheduled to hold talks with Kim Jong Un and visit a monument commemorating the two countries' friendship. Cui Huiao has more.  

The first state visit by a Chinese leader to the DPRK in 14 years.

President Xi is set to begin a two-day visit to the DPRK on Thursday. It comes as DPRK leader Kim Jong Un has visited China four times over the last 15 months.

In March 2018, Kim paid his first-ever state visit to China, before he and Republic of Korea President Moon Jae-in historically met at the border village of Panmunjom in April. It was the first meeting between leaders from the two sides in 11 years.

In May, Kim Jong Un's second visit to China took place in the northeastern city of Dalian. This visit preceded another historic meeting, where Kim and US President Donald Trump met in Singapore for the first time. A week after the summit, Kim paid his third visit to China.

The latest visit by Kim to China was this January, where he and President Xi had an in-depth exchange of views on China-DPRK relations and issues of common concern.

The four meetings have pushed bilateral relations to what the Chinese foreign ministry is calling a 'new historical stage'.

With regards to the agenda, furthering economic cooperation may top the list of priorities during the upcoming meeting. In his four visits to China, Kim has been keen to draw lessons from China's economic, technological and social development. In his first visit to China in March last year, Kim toured Beijing's Zhongguancun, a major technological hub, where he experienced VR technology first hand. This January, Kim visited Beijing's Economic Technological Development Area, as well as the traditional Chinese medicine plant Tong Rentang. Given the complementary nature of the two economies, it is believed that Xi Jinping's visit to the DPRK will present new opportunities for concrete cooperation.

Besides the economy, de-nuclearization may dominate the talks as well. During the second Kim-Trump summit in Hanoi -- the capital city of Vietnam -- this February, the two sides failed to reach an agreement. Since then, negotiations on denuclearization have stalled. Last Wednesday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang said China hopes the DPRK and the US can meet each other halfway and continue to hold conversations over the Korean Peninsula issue.

CUI HUI'AO BEIJING "Despite his busy schedule in June, President Xi's upcoming visit to the DPRK is seen as a crucial move that will usher in a new chapter for bilateral ties on their 70th anniversary. Meanwhile, crucial issues concerning the long-term stability of the region will be covered. Hopefully, the discussions will provide some kind of solution for the future. Cui Hui'ao, CGTN, Beijing."