Chinese Premier to visit DPRK early October

BEIJING, Sept. 28 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao will visit the Democratic People's Republic of Korea from Oct. 4 to 6, according to the Foreign Ministry on Monday.

"Premier Wen Jiabao will pay an official goodwill visit to the DPRK from Oct. 4 to 6 at the invitation of the DPRK Workers' Party Central Committee and the government," Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu said in a statement.

Wen, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee Political Bureau, will meet or hold talks with DPRK leaders on bilateral relations and other issues of common concern, according to Jiang.

Wen will attend commemorative events of the China-DPRK Friendship Year, which coincides with the 60th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic relations.

The DPRK was among the first countries to establish diplomatic relations with New China. The two countries forged diplomatic relations on Oct. 6, 1949, days after the People's Republic of China was founded.