Xi turns on charm in speech on Sino-Russian relation

President Xi Jinping turned on his personal charm during a speech at the prestigious Moscow State Institute of International Relations yesterday, stressing his admiration for Russian literature and using a metaphor to describe his view on international relations.

An audience of about 1,000 - mostly students and academics of the institute - attended the speech, and Xi waved to many others waiting outside who could not get a seat.

The speech was mostly serious as Xi presented his views on the Sino-Russian relationship and foreign affairs, but there were also moments of levity that triggered laughter.

Some students yelled "Long Live" in Russian at the end of his speech.

When a Russian student asked in Putonghua how China and Russia could co-operate in tackling major global problems, Xi said the two countries shared a responsibility to promote a fair and just international order.

But, after giving his answer, Xi asked the student: "How long have you been learning Chinese? Have you got a Chinese name?"

The student replied he had not been given a Chinese name, but had been learning the language for a year.