With everyone focused on the G7 meeting in Canada this weekend, Chinese President Xi Jinping met with Russian President Vladimir Putin and presented him with China’s gold friendship medal on Friday. Putin met with Xi in Beijing before attending the weekend summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) in the port city of Qingdao. “[President Putin] is my best, most intimate friend,” said Xi prior to presenting the large gold colored chain to the Russian president. “Putin is the leader of a great country who is influential around the world.” Chinese People’s Daily posted images of the gold necklace on its ... (full story)