China Censors Putin's Gesture To First Lady At Summit

A gesture by Russian President Vladimir Putin at a summit in Beijing has put Chinese censors into action.

As leaders of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) awaited a performance on the evening of November 10, the divorced Putin wrapped a shawl around the shoulders of Chinese President Xi Jinping's wife, who was seated next to him.

A live broadcast of the event on state media showed Peng Liyuan accepting the covering but handing it to an aide seconds later and putting on her own jacket.

Xi was chatting with U.S. President Barack Obama at the time.

Just hours later, video of the gesture online posts relating to it were removed from the Chinese Internet.

During last year's G20 summit in St. Petersburg, Putin made headlines when he cast a blanket over German Chancellor Angela Merkel's shoulders during an open-air concert.

Based on reporting by dpa and AP