A 38-year-old Chinese construction engineer from Hunan province, Peng Pai, is set to reunite with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Beijing during the leader's official state visit. The upcoming meeting, originally reported by Russia's TASS news agency, marks a heart-warming follow-up to a famous spontaneous event that occurred over two decades ago.

The story dates back to July 19, 2000, when Peng was just a 12-year-old boy visiting Beihai Park in Beijing. While he was sitting by the lake, President Putin unexpectedly walked out of the crowd, lifted the young boy up, and kissed his forehead before taking a memorable photograph with him. Peng recalls that at the time, he did not fully understand the global importance of the man, remembering him simply as a kind and gentle "foreign uncle."

This unexpected childhood encounter deeply influenced Peng’s life, sparking a lifelong curiosity about Russia and its culture. Ahead of their scheduled 2026 reunion, Peng sent a light-hearted message to the Russian President, expressing his excitement to meet again. This personal story highlights the deep-rooted, long-standing people-to-people bonds between China and Russia amidst the official diplomatic state visit.

ORIENT