In a grand diplomatic gathering, China hosted a summit to commemorate the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), a colossal multibillion-dollar infrastructure venture. The event, graced by the presence of numerous global leaders and over 1,000 distinguished delegates, commenced at the prestigious Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Wednesday. Notably, President Xi Jinping presided over the inauguration, sharing the spotlight with Russia’s President Vladimir Putin, who made a rare sojourn outside his homeland, marking his first international engagement this year. However, moments prior to Putin’s address, a significant number of attendees, including European delegates, opted to exit the summit.
Among those departing the scene was European statesman Jean-Pierre Raffarin, the former Prime Minister of France, as per reports from the Reuters news agency.
Video footage from the event captured the departure of Mr. Raffarin and other delegates just as Putin was about to deliver his discourse. Additionally, one of the clips portrayed Putin, flanked by his aides, bearing the enigmatic “nuclear briefcase,” an instrument that can be employed to authorize a nuclear strike.
During his speech, Putin expressed gratitude to President Xi for extending the invitation and articulated Russia’s potential role in the contemporary rejuvenation of the historic Silk Road.
“Russia and China, akin to most nations across the globe, share a fervent aspiration for equitable, mutually advantageous cooperation in the pursuit of universal, sustainable, and long-term economic advancement and societal prosperity. This collaboration underscores reverence for the mosaic of civilizations and the inherent right of each nation to determine its development model,” stated the Russian President.
The Russian leader’s visit to Beijing, his second foreign venture since the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant against him in March for the unlawful deportation of children from Ukraine to Russia, carries significant weight. Notably, China stands as one of the rare places where Putin remains immune to arrest, given the country’s non-membership in the ICC.
This diplomatic episode unfolds against a backdrop of geopolitical intrigue, underscoring the nuances and complexities of international relations.
