China's parliament chief to visit North Korea as Xi envoy

Li Zhanshu, chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC), gets ready to speak at the closing session of the NPC at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China March 20, 2018. REUTERS/Damir Sagolj

BEIJING (Reuters) - China's parliament chief, Li Zhanshu, will visit North Korea on Saturday as President Xi Jinping's special representative, state news agency Xinhua said.

Li will attend celebrations of the 70th anniversary of the founding of the country, Xinhua said on Tuesday.

In a separate reports, the North's KCNA news agency said Li would visit "from Sept. 8", without saying how long he would stay.

(Reporting by Ben Blanchard; Editing by Clarence Fernandez)