BEIJING, Feb. 18 -- French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius will pay a working visit to China from Feb. 20 to 24, as guest of his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi.

Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying made the announcement at a regular press conference on Tuesday.

It is the second meeting between the two foreign ministers this year. On Jan. 22, they met on the sidelines of a UN conference on Syria in the Swiss lakeside city of Montreux.

This year, the two countries will hold a series of celebrations to mark the 50th anniversary of diplomatic ties and preparations for reciprocal visits are underway, according to Wang.