Feels Good to be a Star! Putin Tops Popularity Charts in China as Most Admired Foreign Leader
The Moscow-Beijing relations, personal conversation with Xi Jinping, West's sanctions, and soccer. In anticipation of his visit to China where he'll participate in the SCO summit, Vladimir Putin was interviewed by China Media Capital. President of China Media Group, Shen Haixiong, talked to the Russian leader. The President had also answered regular people's questions, sent via the Internet. How popular is Vladimir Putin in China? How did they prepare for his visit?
Our own correspondent in the region, Anastasia Sakhovskaya reports with the details.
If you ask anyone about Putin in China, you'll get a smile and thumbs-up, and, perhaps, even an answer in Russian.
- Welcome, Putin, Vladimir Putin.
Putin is probably the most recognized foreign leader in China. They're always happy to welcome him here, but this visit is more government-level. It's the first one after the re-election for both leaders. This means specific protocol requirements, but neither Vladimir Putin nor Xi Jinping is concerned about the restrictions due to their mutual trust levels.
Vladimir Putin: "He's the only one out of all the world's leaders who I'd celebrated my birthday with. I've never had a proper relationship or availability to celebrate my birthday with any of my foreign colleagues. But, I did it with Mr. Xi Jinping, I hope he won't get angry with me. We threw back a shot of vodka, ate some spontaneously sliced deli meat. We did it after we finished our work day. He's a very approachable, truly open-hearted man. At the same time, he's a very reliable partner. We can both be sure that if we agree on anything, both of us will strive to fulfill our obligations. I'm very comfortable having him as a partner and a great, reliable friend".
This will be the leaders' first meeting this year, but it will be their 25th negotiations overall — in Beijing and Qingdao where the SCO summit will take place.
- Qingdao is a gorgeous coastal city famous for its seafood and beer. You do plan to try it, don't you?
Vladimir Putin: I'll be glad to try it. I love seafood, and even though I try not to drink beer much, I want to try it and definitely will.
The first fragments of the interview were posted today, on the 6th day of the 6th month, at 6 AM. The Chinese believe in numerology, and the number 6 represents joy and business to them. Moscow and Beijing bet on future technologies in biology, genetics, and digitalization. The sales turnover has already reached 87 billion dollars. Russia could've had the same business relations with Europe and the US. But, unlike China, they chose the path of sanctions.
Vladimir Putin: "It doesn't scare us nor will it ever make us forego the independent, sovereign development path. I assume that Russia will either be a sovereign state or it'll cease to exist. Obviously, the Russian people will always choose the former. I think that Chinese people will do the same, we have no other path to take. However, we understand that our partners are only trying to reach one goal with all these restrictions and sanctions. They want to hold back our development. Those who initiate this policy will be the first ones to suffer from it. I simply hope that common sense will prevail, and all the illegal restrictions, harmful to the global economy, will eventually be canceled. Then, we can normalize our relations with our partners, including the US and their followers who continue imposing these sanctions".
Chinese media notes that Russia had played a significant role in regulating the situation in Syria. Moscow and Beijing respond in unison regarding the Korean issue in the UNSC.
Vladimir Putin: "I understand where North Korea is coming from when they say they need security assurances to perform full denuclearization. There's no other way around it, especially if we think about the tragic events that took place in Libya or Iraq. North Koreans are very aware of those outcomes, so, naturally, they demand assurances".
This is the first time Vladimir Putin was interviewed by the Chinese media in the Kremlin. The typically polite questions from the Chinese people were asked by the head of the China Media Capital that combines radio, TV, and online broadcasting. Over 40 million people participated in the online poll, conducted prior to the visit. They're offered to answer a few questions about the Russian-Chinese relations and the Russian President's image.
For instance, the first question is 'Which of Vladimir Putin's personal qualities are the most attractive? The multiple choice answers are 'wisdom,' 'honesty,' 'power,' 'he never gives up.' As it turns out, the Chinese believe that wisdom is Vladimir Putin's main virtue. 91% of respondents have selected this option.
Just like the contest's headline says, '18 top Putin fans' will be selected this way. Zabivaka (the goal kicker) the Wolf, the World Cup mascot, is one of the prizes. This sport has hundreds of millions of fans in China. Russia is focused to host a decent 2018 FIFA World Cup. Putin will be present at the event's opening and closing, and may even attend some matches if his schedule allows it.
Vladimir Putin: "There are certain soccer players whom I find to be outstanding. The best one among Soviet and Russian players is Lev Yashin. The best one among foreign players is Pelé. I also like Maradona".
- We often see you in fighter and submarines on the news. Our users see you as Super President. If you weren't a politician, what field would you work in?
Vladimir Putin: I got my law degree from the Saint Petersburg State University. Thus, I could easily become a lawyer.
Chinese journalists remember how Putin brought a case of Russian ice cream to the 2016 G20 Hangzhou summit. So, another question is, "What's to expect this time?"
Vladimir Putin: "I brought it because Xi Jinping had previously mentioned that he likes Russian ice cream, so I brought it as a gift for him. We sometimes exchange small gestures, but I don't want to ruin the surprise by revealing what the gift will be. Let it remain a secret between you and me, I'll whisper it in your ear later".
For the Chinese people who took the poll, the real gift would be personally meeting the Russian leader. Every second person would like a picture with him, and the better half of the respondents wouldn't mind a hug.
Anastasia Sakhovskaya, Mikhail Artyukhin, and Aleksey Petrov. Vesti, Beijing, China.