The menu has been revealed for the lavish banquet hosted by Chinese President Xi Jinping for Russian President Vladimir Putin in Beijing on Wednesday. The two leaders met for a two-day trip focused on economic cooperation, with Mr Putin seeking to expand energy ties with the world’s second-largest economy amid Western sanctions.
Guests were treated to traditional Peking duck and Jinhua ham, alongside an array of cold zakuski hors d’oeuvres, prawn soup, beef in bean sauce, Fuzhou noodles, pumpkin pastries, and fresh fruits. The meal was paired with a 2009 Greatwall Cabernet Sauvignon and a 2016 Changyu Chardonnay, according to Russia’s state news agency TASS.
The evening’s cultural programme featured a blend of Chinese and Russian classics performed by the military orchestra of the Chinese Communist Party’s People’s Liberation Army. Highlights included a Peking opera melody and the Dance of the Little Swans from Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake.
Following the banquet, Mr Xi and Mr Putin signed more than 20 agreements on trade and technology. They also issued a declaration advocating for a “multi-polar world order” and a joint statement criticising US military actions in the Middle East. In an apparent reference to the Strait of Hormuz, both nations called on countries to stop “unilaterally” interfering with international trade and supply chains.
Mr Xi said China and Russia should promote a “more just and reasonable global governance system”, while Mr Putin described their relations as having “reached a truly unprecedented level”. However, no final agreement was reached on the multi-billion-dollar Power of Siberia 2 natural gas pipeline, with the Kremlin confirming only “a general understanding”.
The visit came days after US President Donald Trump’s return to Beijing, where he left with promises of smoother trade.
