China-Russia ties turn icy in a sweet way as Vladimir Putin gifts Xi Jinping his favourite treat
- ‘Best friends’ celebrate Chinese president’s 66th birthday with Russian ice cream and champagne on sidelines of conference in Tajikistan
- Leaders meet for the second time in a week, toast their nations’ strong ties
Chinese President Xi Jinping celebrated his 66th birthday on Saturday with a gift of his favourite Russian ice cream from Vladimir Putin, state media reported.
The two leaders got together for the second time in just over a week in Dushanbe, the capital of Tajikistan, where they were attending the Conference on Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures in Asia.
A confessed fan of the frozen treat, Xi thanked Putin for the gift and reciprocated with some Chinese tea, China National Radio reported. The two leaders were later photographed drinking champagne together and toasting their countries’ strong ties.
“The president [Putin] praised Xi Jinping’s role in the development of bilateral relations and pointed to his recent successful visit to Russia,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.
Xi made a three-day state visit to Russia last week during which he described the relationship between China and Russia as a “comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination for a new era” that would reach the “highest level in history”.