The Chinese government says it's signed a pact with North Korea that will allow North Korean trucks and passenger cars to travel to Europe via China.

In a statement released Friday on the Chinese Transport Ministry Web site, the government said Vice Transport Minister Feng Zhenglin signed the pact in North Korea. The Chinese official visited Pyongyang early this week at the invitation of the North’s Ministry of Land and Marine Transport.

China is seeking to build an international overland transport network connecting it to Russia, Europe and the rest of Asia in order to promote trade.

To that end, China has signed similar deals with 15 countries including Russia, Poland, Greece, Iran, Turkey, Vietnam and Mongolia.