North Korea is claiming to have received congratulatory letters from around the world ahead of its seventh ruling Workers’ Party congress later this week, but China appears to be lukewarm towards the rare event.

The North’s state-run Korean Central News Agency reported on Tuesday that leaders of Russia's Communist Party, the Islamic Iran Solidarity Party and the Mongolian People’s Party sent congratulations addressed to leader Kim Jong-un.

While specifically mentioning senders from Nepalese and Bangladeshi parties, the North only included China in the list of 20 nations whose political, social or economic figures sent congratulatory messages. 

The seventh Workers’ Party congress in the North is scheduled to kick off early Friday for the first time in 36 years.