Russian Style: Putin Brings a 'Unique House' as Gift to Xi Jinping

Chinese President Xi Jinping is reportedly considering where to place a traditional Russian bathhouse which he received as a gift from Vladimir Putin.

During his visit to the Chinese city of Tianjin, Russian President Vladimir Putin presented an extravagant gift to his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping – a traditional Russian steam bathhouse known as a banya.

First, the Russian president presented a small piece of wood to his Chinese counterpart, a sample of the material from which the banya will be built. And when Xi jokingly inquired if this piece of wood was the whole gift, Putin showed him photos depicting how the bathhouse would look when it is fully assembled.

"I need to consider where to place it. This is a unique house. Thank you very much," the Chinese leader said.

This isn’t the first time that Vladimir Putin has presented a Russian-style gift to his Chinese counterpart, as in 2016 he brought a box of Russian ice cream to the G20 summit in Hangzhou for Xi. The Chinese leader is reportedly quite fond of this treat.

Vladimir Putin arrived in China to take part in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit, which kicked off in Qingdao on June 9.

READ MORE: SCO Summit Kicking Off in China's Qingdao: Putin Is Set to Meet With Rouhani

During the summit, the SCO countries’ leaders are expected to discuss matters such as global trade and counterterrorism, and to sign a number of important documents on customs cooperation, trade, agriculture, tourism and the environment.