Peskov called Putin's meeting with the Chinese engineer a symbol of the closeness of the peoples.

The meeting of Russian President Vladimir Putin with Chinese engineer Peng Pai, with whom he was photographed in 2000 during his first visit to Beijing, symbolizes the closeness of the peoples of the Russian Federation and the People's Republic of China (PRC). This was announced on May 20 by Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov.

"[The meeting] demonstrates to us how well we have developed relations in the humanitarian sphere and once again emphasize, perhaps, the closeness. The proximity of people," he said in an interview with an NTV correspondent.

The Kremlin's official representative clarified that Peng Pai chose the Russian university in order to study there under the master's degree program. The man, as Peskov noted, spent "a very happy time" there.

"People like Peng Pai. — Ed.) there are many in China," he concluded.

Talks between Putin and Xi Jinping in Beijing. The main thing

Putin met with Peng Pai on May 20. During a friendly conversation, the men exchanged gifts — the Russian leader received a set of Lilin porcelain, and in return gave his friend a set of orange-tinted tableware with decorative elements reminiscent of the products of the Russian Imperial Porcelain Factory (IFZ).

Peng Pei, speaking with Izvestia columnist Viktor Sineok, said he was deeply impressed by the incident.