"At the invitation of Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov... Foreign Minister Wang Yi will pay an official visit to Russia from March 31 to April 2," a foreign ministry spokesperson said.

Beijing and Moscow have ramped up economic cooperation and diplomatic contacts in recent years and their strategic partnership has only grown closer since Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

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

However, China is 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.

China has said it welcomes all steps towards a ceasefire in the conflict.