BEIJING, Aug. 7 (Xinhua) -- During Russian President Vladimir Putin's China trip this May, Chinese President Xi Jinping invited him to visit a photo exhibition celebrating the everlasting friendship between the two countries at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.

As the two presidents strolled through the exhibition, viewing pictures documenting their close interactions and the solid progress in China-Russia cooperation, they paused before a familiar image from Moscow's Red Square.

The photograph, taken on May 9, 2025, during celebrations marking the 80th anniversary of the Soviet Union's victory in the Great Patriotic War, showed Xi seated between Putin and Russian World War II veteran Evgeny Znamensky, whose suit was adorned with medals earned through wartime service. The two leaders were seen warmly chatting with the veteran.

Recalling the warm memories of their meeting in Moscow more than a year ago, the 100-year-old veteran said the temperature that day was below 10 degrees Celsius. "President Xi was concerned that I might feel cold and specifically asked for a blanket for me."

Deeply touched by the gesture, Znamensky said he greatly appreciated Xi's kindness.

The blanket was a small gesture, but it speaks volumes about a core tenet of China's diplomacy.

"Friendship, which derives from close contact between the people, holds the key to sound state-to-state relations," Xi articulated this philosophy at the opening ceremony of the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation in 2017.

Throughout his overseas visits and diplomatic engagements, Xi has forged friendships with people around the world through sincerity and mutual respect. Even amid a demanding schedule, he has always made time to meet people from all walks of life.

His warm smile and approachable manner have created countless memorable moments, building bridges of mutual understanding and friendship across borders.

During his visit to Russia in May 2015, Xi presented commemorative badges to representatives of Russian veterans to honor their contribution to the victory of the World Anti-Fascist War.

After noticing that the Russian veteran Gaverdovsky was having difficulty walking steadily, Xi told him, "I'll go over and bring the badge to you! You don't need to move." Xi then walked swiftly to Gaverdovsky, and presented the badge to him.

Gaverdovsky said after the ceremony that he was deeply touched by the Chinese president's meticulous care and consideration.

Xi is equally warm and attentive when meeting young people.

In May 2024, Xi paid a state visit to Hungary. Among those greeting the Chinese leader was Hungarian girl Olah Tamara, who had presented flowers to Xi when he visited the country as Chinese vice president in 2009.

After being told that she was the same girl who presented flowers to him 15 years ago, the president recalled that encounter. "You've grown up. You were only this tall back then," he said, making a gesture with his hand.

The brief exchange bridged the years in an instant. Deeply moved, Olah said she had never imagined Xi would still remember her. "He is so warm and kind," she said.

There are many more such moments throughout Xi's overseas visits. Greeting children in Germany on a rainy day, he reminded them to keep warm and avoid catching a cold. In Australia, he set aside time to meet primary school students who had written him letters, invited them to visit China for study tours, and encouraged them to continue writing. Visiting a high school in the U.S. state of Washington, he chatted with students about sports, music and youth.

When meeting workers and farmers, Xi is known for his down-to-earth manner and genuine sincerity.

Having worked and lived alongside farmers in his younger years, Xi has always shared a deep bond with them.

During a visit to a farming family in Costa Rica back in 2013, he reflected on his own experience working in China's countryside, saying he had been a farmer and personally knows what life is like for Chinese farmers.

Walking through the family's small coffee plantation, Xi paused repeatedly to ask the host, Marco Tulio Zamora, about coffee cultivation, production and sales.

For Zamora, the conversation was unforgettable. He said he had rarely seen a foreign leader visit an ordinary family like his, adding that his family felt deeply honored.

During his visit to Serbia in 2016, Xi toured the Smederevo Steel Plant. Inside the vast and bustling hot-rolling workshop, machines roared and heat filled the air. Xi stopped from time to time, closely observing the production process and asking detailed questions about the plant's operations.

Later, Xi visited the staff canteen. What interested him most was the everyday lives of the employees. Nenad Cvetanovic, a veteran employee at the Smederevo Steel Plant, still recalls the sense of encouragement among workers when the Chinese leader told them that the plant would "surely be revitalized."

"President Xi's interaction with us resonated deeply among the workers at the steel plant. His care for us came straight from the heart, giving us a strong sense of security and hope," he said.

Established in 1913, the Smederevo Steel Plant was once regarded as "the pride of Serbia." However, by the late 1990s, declining competitiveness and weak management had pushed the plant to the brink of closure. In 2016, China's HBIS Group acquired the plant. Through joint efforts by both sides, the plant has undergone a breathtaking transformation, regaining its position as one of Serbia's key export drivers.

In 2024, 30 Serbian workers from the steel mill wrote a letter to Xi, sharing the mill's development story and expressing their gratitude for his support in making the project's success possible.

Xi said in his reply letter that it is a great pleasure to learn that the steel plant has turned losses into gains quickly after the investment of a Chinese-funded enterprise.

The development of the plant, he said, cannot be achieved without the dedication and hard work of the workers, who have been working diligently for the quick growth of the steel plant and have written a new chapter for the iron-clad friendship between China and Serbia.

"I give you a thumbs-up," Xi wrote in the letter.■