China said Friday that it will replace its ambassador to North Korea, adding the replacement is part of a "normal rotation" of diplomatic posts.

Asked whether China would replace its ambassador to North Korea, Liu Hongchai, China's foreign ministry spokesman Hua Chunying replied, "There will be some rotations of Chinese ambassadors to foreign countries."

"These are normal rotations," Hua said, without specifying the Chinese ambassador to North Korea.

Political relations between North Korea and China remain strained as Pyongyang continues to defy international pressure and develop its nuclear and missile capabilities. (Yonhap)