A high-ranking North Korean official arrived in China on Tuesday for a five-day official visit.

Choe Thae-bok, chairman of the Supreme People's Assembly and secretary of the Central Committee of the ruling Workers' Party, arrived at the Beijing Capital International Airport on Tuesday morning and left the airport without answering reporters’ questions.

Seven to eight officials were spotted accompanying Choe, but no other high-profile figures were seen.

Choe was invited by Chairman of the Standing Committee of China's National People's Congress, Wu Bangguo, and his visit is known to have been planned before North Korea's artillery attack on South Korea’s Yeonpyeong Island last week.

Choe is expected to discuss the North's attack and the disclosure of its uranium facility with Beijing officials.