China's top diplomat Wang Yi will visit Russia this week for a security meeting of BRICS emerging economies, Beijing's foreign ministry said Monday.

At the invitation of senior Russian official Sergei Shoigu, Wang will attend a meeting of BRICS "high-ranking officials responsible for security matters" and national security advisers, ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said in an online statement.

The meeting will take place on Wednesday and Thursday in the city of St Petersburg, Mao added.

Wang's visit comes in advance of a BRICS summit next month that President Xi Jinping is expected to attend.

Russian President Vladimir Putin last week said he was expecting Xi at the Kazan meeting from October 22 to 24.

Putin has looked to the Chinese leader for support since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022, with the allies boosting trade to record highs as Moscow faces heavy economic sanctions from the West.

The BRICS group, an acronym for Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, represents almost half the world's population and has since expanded to include other major emerging economies including the United Arab Emirates and Iran.

The group is set to hold a summit in the southwestern city of Kazan next month, in what the Kremlin hopes will be a chance to expand its influence and forge closer economic alliances.

Moscow and Beijing both rail against "Western hegemony", particularly what they see as US domination of global affairs, and declared a "no limits" partnership shortly before Russia launched its offensive in Ukraine.

Last month, Putin said Russia's economic and trade links with China were "yielding results" as he welcomed Chinese Premier Li Qiang to the Kremlin.