Putin Meets Again with 'Chinese Boy' He Photographed with at Beihai Park 26 Years Ago

On May 20, in Beijing, during his whirlwind visit to China, Russian President Vladimir Putin specifically met with a “Chinese boy” he had held in his arms in Beijing 26 years ago.

“I’m very glad to see you again,” Putin said. “This is a surprise and a happy occasion for me.”

From July 17 to 19, 2000, Putin made his first state visit to China as Russian President. After touring the Forbidden City, he spontaneously suggested boating on Beihai Park.

That day, Peng Pai, a boy from Yueyang, Hunan, was visiting Beihai Park with his father. Along with many other tourists, he excitedly waved at the boats on the lake. This caught the attention of Putin, who had just come ashore. Putin picked Peng Pai up from the stone balustrade by the lake, put his hand on the boy’s shoulder, and interacted with him.

In the summer of 2000, Peng Pai and his family visited the Chinese capital from Hunan province. On July 19, while sitting on the stone balustrades along the lake in Beihai Park, a “foreign uncle” approached him from the crowd, lifted him up, and kissed his forehead.

It was Putin. During his first official visit to China as the Russian president, Putin made an unplanned trip to the park. After boating on the lake, he greeted the boy by the lakeside and took a picture with him.

On July 19, 2000, Russian President Vladimir Putin took a photo with Peng Pai during a visit to Beihai Park in Beijing. On July 17 last year, Russian media posted a “missing person notice” on Weibo, hoping to find this “Chinese boy.” Within a few days, with the help of Chinese media, Peng Pai was located.

After finding Peng Pai, some Russian media wrote, “History quietly continues to write warmth.”

According to Russian media reports, “He (Peng Pai) later mastered Russian and graduated from a university in Moscow.”

It is understood that Peng Pai graduated from the Moscow Automobile and Road Construction State Technical University and now works as an engineer at a major Chinese company.

After finishing high school, Peng decided to learn more about Russia by applying to one of its universities.

From 2007 to 2013, he studied bridge and tunnel engineering at the Moscow Automobile and Road Construction State Technical University, earning bachelor’s and master’s degrees.

After graduation, Peng returned home and joined Hunan Construction Investment Group, a State-owned enterprise based in Changsha, with projects in more than 60 countries.

38-year-old Peng Pai is a construction engineer from Hunan. Photo: China Daily

Peng Pai said that whether during his studies in Russia or after returning to work in China, he has deeply felt that China-Russia cooperation in infrastructure and cultural exchanges are getting closer and closer.

“High-level exchanges between the two sides have been frequent in recent years,” he said, “and interactions are active in many fields, including at the grassroots and online levels.”

“I grew up in China, and spent seven very important years in Moscow, Russia. Moscow is my second home.” When meeting Putin today, Peng Pai said with emotion.

Peng Pai’s life experience is a vivid example of China-Russia friendship.

Reporters: Li Muyun, He Chun

Editor: Pei Xiying

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