The vice foreign ministers of North Korea and China met in Beijing on Friday ahead of U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's visit to Pyongyang.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry unveiled a photo of North Korean Vice Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui and her Chinese counterpart Kong Xuanyou shaking hands, saying the two discussed Korean Peninsula affairs.

Choe is North Korea's point person on the nuclear issue and negotiations with the United States while the Chinese vice minister serves as Beijing's Special Representative on Korean Peninsular affairs.

Choe will arrive in Moscow on Saturday for bilateral talks with Russia and three-way talks with Beijing and Moscow.

It's the first time the trilateral meeting is confirmed since the latest nuclear negotiations began between the U.S. and North Korea.

China and Russia publicly supported North Korea by calling for eased sanctions during the UN General Assembly late last month.

The North Korean official's visit to Moscow has fueled speculation of a possible future visit by North Korean leader Kim Jong-un to Russia to meet President Vladimir Putin.