Bombay Durpun - China's top diplomat to host Russia's Shoigu for security talks

Moscow and Beijing have expanded military and defence ties since Russia ordered troops into Ukraine nearly three years ago, with Chinese President Xi Jinping one of Russian President Vladimir Putin's most important allies on the world stage.

But Beijing has also found itself increasingly stuck between a burgeoning alliance of Russia and North Korea, which has sent soldiers to Ukraine and this week ratified a landmark defence pact with Moscow.

On Tuesday, Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi will meet with Shoigu, the secretary of Russia's Security Council, for "strategic security consultations", Beijing said.

The two sides will discuss "major issues involving the two countries' strategic security interests and enhancing mutual trust", foreign ministry spokesman Lin Jian said Monday.

Russia has said the talks will touch on "current problems of international and regional security, as well as a wide range of topics on bilateral cooperation".

Shoigu was Russia's defence minister for the first two years of its offensive on Ukraine, before being moved to the Security Council by Putin after a string of military setbacks and criticism from the country's influential military correspondents.

Shoigu is also expected to attend this week's Airshow China, which showcases Beijing's civil and military aerospace sector every two years in the southern city of Zhuhai.

Russia's most advanced jet, the Su-57 stealth fighter, will make a display flight at the show.

China presents itself as a neutral party in the Ukraine war and says it is not sending lethal assistance to either side, unlike the United States and other Western nations.

However, it remains a close political and economic ally of Russia and NATO members have branded Beijing a "decisive enabler" of the war, which it has never condemned.

Last month, the two countries' defence ministers pledged to deepen cooperation between their two countries' militaries.

G.Radhakrishnan--BD