By 294 BC, the kingdom of Qin had become a major military power in China. Its first step of conquest began with the nearby kingdoms of Wei and Han. Wei and Han had been enemies for many years, and did not pay much attention to Qin. In 294 BC Qin, under General Bai Qi, attacked Han and took an important fortress. Wei and Han realized the might of Qin, and joined forces to stop Qin from further conquests.