Putin and Xi meet in China
–
–
The meeting between Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping without handshakes took place on Friday, then Putin attended the opening of the Winter Olympics in Beijing.
President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping did not shake hands when they met on February 4, Russian presidential protocol chief Vladislav Kitaev explained that Beijing asked to do without a handshake, citing the coronavirus epidemic, they write vesti.ru.
“We did not find anything criminal in this and agreed. The President knew that there was no need to lend a hand to the head of the PRC,” Kitaev said.
Russia signed 30-year contract to supply gas to China via new pipeline boosting 🇨🇳-🇷🇺 energy alliance amid strained ties with the West. Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Putin called on west to abandon ‘cold war ideology’ in talks ahead of #Beijing2022 pic.twitter.com/TJUQ4EuJBb
— Sana Jamal (@Sana_Jamal) February 4, 2022
The Russian official asked “not to look for politics” in such a position of China towards Putin and, in this regard, recalled the visit of former German Chancellor Angela Merkel to Moscow in August 2021. At that time, her protocol service also advocated the exclusion of shaking hands with Putin.
It is worth noting that Putin was also the only distinguished guest who came to the opening of the Olympics without a mask. Xi was wearing a mask at the ceremony.
Recall that the Kremlin considers “substantial” talks between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping. “It was a very warm, constructive, partnership and allied meeting, very substantive at the same time,” said Dmitry Peskov, press secretary of the President of the Russian Federation. According to him, the talks focused on the bilateral agenda and trade and economic cooperation, but “a few words were also said on the international situation.”
–
