This was Vladimir Putin’s second visit to China since the start of the Ukraine war.
China organised its biggest diplomatic event this week – a summit to celebrate the belt and road (BRI) project, a multibillion-dollar infrastructure project. President Xi Jinping opened the ceremony in the presence of several world leaders and more than 1,000 delegates at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Wednesday, and shared the stage with Vladimir Putin, who made a rare trip outside Russia – his first this year. But just before Mr Putin’s speech, a number of people, including European delegates, walked out of the summit.
Among those delegates was European Jean-Pierre Raffarin, former prime minister of France, news agency Reuters reported.
Videos from the event show Mr Raffarin and other delegates leaving the Great Hall as Mr Putin was set to deliver his remarks after Mr Xi.
One of the clips also showed Mr Putin, accompanied by his aides, carrying the so-called nuclear briefcase, which can be used to order a nuclear strike.
In his speech, Mr Putin thanked the Chinese leader for his invitation and said Russia could play a key role in China’s modern day revival of the ancient Silk Road.
“Russia and China, like most countries of the world, share the desire for equal, mutually beneficial cooperation in order to achieve universal sustainable and long-term economic progress and social well-being, while respecting the diversity of civilization and the right of each State to its own development model,” the Russian President said.
He arrived in Beijing on Tuesday, in only the second known trip abroad since the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant against him in March over illegal deportation of children from Ukraine to Russia.
China is one of the few places where Mr Putin cannot be arrested, since it is not an ICC state.
