The upcoming visit toNorth KoreaSaturday by China's top legislator is following a friendly tradition and convention between China and North Korea which is to send congratulations to each other on important festivals, China'sMinistry of Foreign Affairssaid on Wednesday.

　　The Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee's International Department announced on Tuesday that China's top legislator Li Zhanshu will head a delegation to visit the North Korea on Saturday as a special representative of Xi Jinping, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee and Chinese president.

　　Li, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, will attend activities celebrating the 70th anniversary of the founding of the North Korea, the Xinhua News Agency reported Tuesday.

　　The visit will be conducive to developing friendship between China and North Korea as well as safeguarding regional stability and peace, Hua Chunying, spokesperson of Ministry of Foreign Affairs, told a routine press conference Wednesday.

　　As for theKorean Peninsulanuclear issue, Hua said on Wednesday that the essence of the issue is security and the crux of the problem is a lack of mutual trust.

　　China's position on promoting denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and establishing peace is consistent with the spirit of the Panmunjom Declaration announced by the leaders of the two Koreas and the summit between North Korea and the US leaders in Singapore, Hua said.

　　However, US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley said that China and Russia have blocked the release of a UN report on North Korea's sanctions violations, the Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday.

　　She accused China and Russia of causing problems.

　　In response, Hua said at the routine press conference that the report that the US tried to release at the UN "should objectively, comprehensively and correctly" reflect efforts of countries in implementing UN resolutions. The nuclear issue cannot be solved through unwarranted and irresponsible accusations.

　　She urged the US to respect facts.

　　Global Times