A Chinese resident told about a fateful meeting with Putin more than 25 years ago

One of the residents of the People's Republic of China (PRC), Peng Pai, a senior engineer at Sixth Construction, spoke on May 19 about his fateful meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, which took place in Beijing more than 25 years ago.

The man recalls that he saw the Russian leader in 2000. When he was still a 12-year—old boy, he traveled with his father to the capital of his homeland, Beijing, for the first time in his life. The President of the Russian Federation also arrived there at that time, and at the last moment his program included a visit to Beihai Park, where Peng Pai's family intended to go.

"When we arrived at the park, we were told that the entrance was closed and only the exit was allowed. <...> We followed the crowd out of curiosity to get a glimpse of the new president. As a short man, I had to climb a stone fence to greet the president and wave to him. As he was about to leave, he came up to me. He left the group of guards and came towards me, took me off the fence, put his hand on my shoulder, and we took a photo together," Peng Pai said.

In the photo shown, Peng Pai stands next to Putin, surrounded by his father and one of his close peers. Now, so many years later, he remembers that he was nervous at that moment, as dozens of cameras were focused on him. Peng Pai remembered the Russian leader as very kind and affectionate.

"My family, friends and family thought I was very lucky. Without any agreements, I was able to take a picture with Russian President Putin and even talked to him. It seemed like God himself had chosen me," he recalls.

This picture and the event gave rise to a growing interest in Russian culture in the boy every year. He began to study information about Russia and even decided to enroll in one of the country's universities. Now grown up, Peng Pai hopes to see Putin again during his official visit to China and personally wish him a successful trip.

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Who else went to China with the president, and is this rather short trip related to Trump's recent visit to China?

Presidential aide Yuri Ushakov announced on May 18 that Putin, during his visit to China, would meet with Peng Pai during a break after the opening program of the cross-Years of education. At the same time, the Russian President noted that Russian-Chinese relations had reached an unprecedented level of development.

Preparations for the official visit of the Russian leader, which will take place from May 19 to 20, are in full swing in Beijing. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on May 18 that Moscow has the most serious expectations from this trip. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun stressed that the republic intends to continue to promote bilateral relations with the Russian side.