Russian President Vladimir Putin, who is never hesitant to disply his passion for the outdoors, showed his softer side on May 14, after he sat down to play the piano during his official visit to China. The Russian President is in Beijing on a state visit to discuss a $1 trillion infrastructure plan that strives to revive the ancient Silk Road.
The May 14-15 summit is Xi’s signature foreign policy effort and China reportedly plans to ask heads of state to sign a joint communiqué endorsing its economic and diplomatic positions. Putin is in the minority of top leaders who actually chose to attend.
After speaking at the summit in the morning, Vladimir Putin headed to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping at his residence. Putin is habitually late for meetings, but this time he was the one who was reportedly made to wait.
So, Putin played some songs on Xi’s piano. Russian state television showed excerpts of at least two tunes he played “Moscow Windows” and “City on the Free Neva” both Soviet classics.
The Russian president and jack-of-all trades has previously been photographed riding horses while shirtless in Siberia and swimming with dolphins.
Vladimir Putin has demonstrated his music talents before. In 2010, he took the stage at a charity concert with a jazz band to play and sing “Blueberry Hills.”
But in recent years, Putin occupied with the annexation of Crimea, the crisis in eastern Ukraine and Russia’s role in Syria preferred to demonstrate his virile side in Kremlin-distributed pictures of him hunting and fishing.
(With inputs from AP)
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