Beijing is preparing to welcome Russian President Vladimir Putin, who will arrive in the People’s Republic of China (PRC) at the invitation of President Xi Jinping. On May 19, reporter Nikolai Ivanov visited Beijing’s largest tea market and sampled local delicacies, including dried insects.
“I am located in the largest tea market in Beijing,” Ivanov said. “We are looking for a very rare variety. Longjing is called ‘ceremonial’ or ‘diplomatic’ tea. It is served at official ceremonies. Each leaf is processed manually.” He described the tea as “very tasty, rich and tart.”
The reporter’s next destination was a local cafe featuring an array of Asian dishes such as seaweed, baked roots, soaked mushrooms, and dried insects. Ivanov joked about trying centipedes and scorpions: “It’s delicious, it 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 there is complete mutual understanding between Moscow and Beijing, largely due to the personal friendship between Xi Jinping and Putin. The Russian leader has visited China more than 20 times, with each trip representing a new point of growth in bilateral relations.
Additionally, the Kremlin announced on May 16 that Putin’s official visit will take place from May 19–20 at Xi Jinping’s invitation. The delegation includes relevant deputy prime ministers, ministers, and representatives of companies cooperating with China. Russian presidential aide Yuri Ushakov emphasized that Russia and China share similar foreign policy positions in the United Nations, BRICS, and other international organizations, as well as strong trade ties.
