Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi is expected to visit South Korea early next week.

According to diplomatic sources, South Korea’s Foreign Ministry is in the late stages of fine-tuning a meeting between Wang and South Korean Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong, and will soon announce the top Chinese official’s visit.

Another government official in Seoul, who declined to be identified, said that although the Foreign Ministry has yet to confirm the visiting official’s itinerary, the two countries have felt the need to hold high-level discussions and have been seeking ways to continue their close exchanges.

The two ministers will likely discuss enhancing bilateral ties as well as share views on the peace process on the Korean peninsula and major international developments. They will also confer on Beijing’s preparations for the Winter Olympic Games slated for February next year.

This will be their first face-to-face meeting since Chung’s visit to Xiamen, Fujian Province, back in April, and Wang’s first visit to South Korea since November last year.