This was Vladimir Putin’s second visit to China since the start of the Ukraine war.
China organized its biggest diplomatic event this week – a summit celebrating the Belt and Road Project (BRI), a multi-billion dollar infrastructure project. President Xi Jinping opened the ceremony on Wednesday in the presence of several world leaders and more than 1,000 delegates at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, sharing the stage with Vladimir Putin, who made a rare trip outside Russia – his first there Year . But shortly before Mr Putin’s speech, scores of people, including European delegates, left the summit.
Among those delegates was European Jean-Pierre Raffarin, former prime minister of France, Reuters news agency reported.
Videos from the event show Mr. Raffarin and other delegates leaving the Great Hall as Mr. Putin was due to deliver his remarks after Mr. Xi.
One of the clips also showed Putin, accompanied by his aides, carrying the so-called nuclear briefcase, which can be used to order a nuclear strike.
In his speech, Putin thanked the Chinese leader for his invitation and said Russia could play a key role in China’s modern revival of the ancient Silk Road.
“Russia and China, like most countries in the world, share the desire for equal, mutually beneficial cooperation to achieve universal sustainable and long-term economic progress and social well-being, while respecting the diversity of civilization and the rights of each individual.” The state must adopt its own development model,” the Russian president said.
He arrived in Beijing on Tuesday, only his second known trip abroad since the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant for him in March on charges of illegally deporting children from Ukraine to Russia.
China is one of the few places where Mr. Putin cannot be arrested because it is not an ICC state.
Source : www.ndtv.com