Vodka, bullet train and boat rides: how Xi and Putin built up a personal rapport

Xi Jinping’s friendship with Vladimir Putin has been cultivated over many visits and informal events, from pancakes to lakeside teas 4 -MIN READ4 -MIN Published: 2:00pm, 19 May 2026 Few relationships among world leaders have been portrayed as personally as that between President Xi Jinping and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin. Xi, who rarely publicly reveals much about his personal life or emotions, once described Putin as his “best and most intimate friend”. Over the years, their rapport has been defined not only by summits and state visits, but also a growing catalogue of highly personal rituals involving food, birthday…