Putin the Great: Russian leader shows his ‘emperor’ form at Beijing’s grand military parade

A murmur ran through the crowd when two huge screens along Changan Avenue showed Russian President Vladimir Putin walking down the red carpet.

“Putin the Great, finally,” a reporter jokingly said as the crowd was muffled by the whir of camera shutters.

Putin was arranged to be the last state leader to walk the red carpet. President Xi Jinping greeted his “old friend” with a big smile, before the two shook hands and walked abreast towards the Tiananmen rostrum.

They were also spotted standing on the rostrum exchanging views during the military parade, while Korean President Park Geun-hye remained seated aside. Her attendance in spite of Western pressure was equally, if not more, important for Beijing.

China’s fascination with Putin goes beyond his role as state leader. When he stood up to applaud the Russian troops, who made up the last formation of foreign soldiers to walk across Tiananmen, the crowd also burst into applause.

Ordinary Chinese are impressed with his masculinity, talents and his firm stance against his opponents, including Western countries – qualities that according to traditional Chinese values make someone a strong leader: like an emperor.