Senior N. Korean party official visiting China: KCNA

A senior North Korean official has arrived in China, signaling a strengthening of ties between the two countries, according to state media reports. Kim Song-nam, a member of the Political Bureau of the Workers' Party of Korea and a party secretary, led a delegation of his countrymen into the nation. The visit was arranged by China's Communist Party Central Committee.

The delegation's entrance occurred just a fortnight after a surprise trip to the Chinese border city of Dandong by North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. This development follows an increase in cooperation between North Korea and China following a period of strained relations due to Pyongyang's growing ties with Russia during the Ukraine conflict.

Upon landing at a Chinese airport, Kim and his team were welcomed by Deputy Head Sun Haiyan and other representatives from China's party International Liaison Department.