Pancake diplomacy! Russia's Putin and China's Xi bond over cooking

But the two leaders found time to flip blini on "Far East Street", an exhibition of the region's cultural and economic achievements. Photos showed Mr Putin and Mr Xi, wearing blue aprons, pouring out batter and turning the pancakes over before eating them with caviar and a shot of vodka. The pair earlier in the day praised their countries' increasingly close ties, with Mr Xi saying their "friendship was getting stronger all the time".