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China’s Foreign Minister, Wang Yi, is set to engage in security talks in Moscow, following closely behind North Korea’s leader, Kim Jong-un’s recent visit to Russia.

Wang’s visit, scheduled from Monday to Thursday, is primarily for a “strategic security consultation” between China and Russia, as announced by the Chinese foreign ministry.

This comes when Russia, dealing with its war in Ukraine, seeks to bolster its international alliances. Kim Jong-un’s six-day Russian tour, which included military and technology sites and a meeting with President Vladimir Putin, raised worldwide speculation about North Korea potentially supplying weapons to Russia for use in Ukraine.

Adding to the complex geopolitical landscape, Wang’s trip to Russia is on the heels of his talks in Malta with US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan. The dialogue between the US and China was described as “candid, substantive and constructive” despite the two powers facing increased tensions over differing viewpoints on various global issues, including Russia’s Ukraine invasion.

China, siding closer with Russia, argues the West should weigh Russia’s security concerns regarding NATO’s expansion in Europe. Furthermore, the US’s decision to provide arms to Ukraine, seen by China as exacerbating the conflict, has been defended by the Biden administration as a necessary response to Russian aggression.