BEIJING, June 17 (Xinhua) -- Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and Chinese president, will pay a state visit to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) from June 20 to 21, at the invitation of Kim Jong Un, chairman of the Workers' Party of Korea and chairman of the State Affairs Commission of the DPRK.

Hu Zhaoming, spokesperson for the International Department of the CPC Central Committee, made the announcement here on Monday.

This will be the first visit to the DPRK by the top leader of the CPC and China's head of state in 14 years, and also General Secretary Xi's first visit to the country since the 18th CPC National Congress in 2012, Song Tao, head of the International Department of the CPC Central Committee, said here Monday when briefing the press on the upcoming visit.

The visit, on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the establishment of China-DPRK diplomatic ties, is of great significance for efforts to build on past successes to further advance bilateral relationship, Song said.