Putin to reunite with Chinese boy he first met in 2000published at 07:24 BST
Image source, China News ServicePutin had taken a photo with Peng Pai, then a young boy, 26 years ago in Beihai Park
Earlier, we mentioned that Putin is due to meet a Chinese engineer he first met as a child during a state visit in 2000.
When Putin visited China then, he had taken a photo with a young boy at Beihai Park in Beijing.
Peng Pai, now an engineer, will meet Putin again today – 26 years after their first encounter.
“I want to tell President Putin, seeing you again, you’re still as charming as back then, while I’ve turned from a young boy into a fattened middle-aged man,” Peng said, in a video posted on Chinese state media.
“I never imagined I would have the opportunity to meet him again. It’s truly incredible,” Peng said, recalling how the Russian president had lifted him from a railing in the park to take a photo.
“He also gently kissed my forehead before we parted. Those are scenes I still remember vividly.”
Image source, China News ServiceLast year, Russian state media outlet Russia Today posted a search notice for Peng, writing on Weibo that it would be “truly meaningful” if the young boy in that 2000 photo could be located.
This sparked a viral search for Peng among social media users, and days later he was found: now an engineer with a master’s degree from a university in Moscow – a choice that he told Chinese media had in some way been inspired by his short encounter with Putin.