Senior officials from Russia and China visited North Korea as the country gets set to mark 70 years since the armistice that ended the Korean War. The anniversary is Thursday, July 27.

The officials, which include Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, were expected to attend a massive military parade showcasing North Korea’s latest weaponry. According to analysts, the spectacle will likely include the North’s nuclear-tipped missiles. These missiles are banned by the United Nations Security Council, of which Russia and China are permanent members.

The trips mark the first known diplomatic visits to North Korea since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. North Korea, Russia and China have deepened their ties and escalated tensions with the United States in that time.

“China and the DPRK are friendly neighbors, and the continuous consolidation and development of China-DPRK relations are in the common interests of both sides and conducive to the promotion of peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and in the region,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said on Wednesday, July 26. “China is willing to work with the DPRK, guided by the important consensus reached by the leaders of the two parties and countries, and in accordance with the requirements of the new era and the wishes of the people of the two countries, to push forward bilateral relations with continuous and greater development.”

The North has regularly conducted test launches of various types of missiles over the last few years, launches that have been repeatedly condemned by the U.S. The U.S. has also sought to strengthen its ties with regional allies South Korea and Japan.

The U.S. has also played a significant role in Russia’s invasion of
Ukraine, denouncing Russia’s actions and supplying billions of dollars in military aid to Ukraine. Meanwhile, U.S. and Chinese diplomats are dealing with a variety of issues, including China’s increasingly aggressive actions over Taiwan and U.S. export controls aimed at preventing China from developing advanced semiconductors.

China has reappointed Wang Yi as foreign minister on Tuesday, July 25, a month after the previous foreign minister disappeared from public view. While Wang has been a fixture in U.S.-China relations for years, experts said his return is unlikely to yield any major easing of tensions.