North Korea says a Chinese delegation will visit the country to attend celebrations marking the 70th anniversary of the Korean War Armistice.

The announcement, made on Monday via the state-run Korean Central News Agency, comes as the country is preparing to celebrate the anniversary on July 27, which Pyongyang calls "Victory Day."

The group of Chinese Communist Party and government officials will reportedly be led by Li Hongzhong, vice chairperson of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress.

Chinese officials said the group's trip will start on Wednesday. This will make it the first foreign delegation to be officially welcomed by North Korea since the country put stringent border controls in place in January 2020 as part of its fight against the coronavirus.

The move is seen as an attempt by North Korea to highlight its amicable ties with the country's major backer, China, while stepping up its confrontational stance toward the US.