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It’s a submissive gesture. Russian President Vladimir Putin (70) gets down on his knees – in front of none other than Chinese head of state Xi Jinping (69). In addition, the Kremlin boss humbly kisses his hand as Xi smiles. So Russia bows to China.
The photo is going viral. Hundreds are sharing it on social media these days. It was only published for Xi’s three-day state visit to Moscow. The Chinese head of state arrived at the Kremlin on Monday. The burning issues of the two superpowers are the war in Ukraine, peace negotiations and possible arms shipments from China to Russia.
China is expanding its power
The image is so controversial because of the recent surge in reports that China is significantly expanding its power on the international stage. Recently, much-discussed photos went around the world, showing Xi ushering in his third term in office with two prestigious teacups. Again and again, the head of state competes with the West by raising the issue of China’s rise, which the Western states would have prevented.
At the same time, Russia’s leading position in the world is threatened, in particular by the war in Ukraine, and tensions with the West, especially with the US, have increased. The textbook example of this is the sanctions imposed by the EU, Switzerland and America on oligarchs or other high-ranking Russians: they seriously weaken the Russian economy.
However, it is now known that the kneeling photo is just a fake. Tech reporter Amanda Florian tweeted that the humility scene was created with artificial intelligence. The expert specializes in China, cybersecurity and new media. “It is very likely that this photo was generated with a program,” says Florian.
The original photos show the meeting of the heads of state in a different room – and with a different interior. Expert Florian says she also ran the image through a detector from Hugging Face, a French technology company that provides tools for machine learning and software development. “According to this image detector, the photo is not real.”
Irregular bumps on Putin’s ear
The tech reporter also writes that Xi Jinping’s hair is a bit fuzzy. “If you look closely, you can also see Xi’s slightly covered ear and some irregular ‘bumps’ on Putin’s ear.” Amanda Florian’s Balance: “You shouldn’t believe everything you see on the internet.”
So Russia’s position as a world power is not as cracked as it might seem at first glance. But it remains to be seen how long Putin and the Kremlin will be able to maintain their position of power along the chosen path. Because an end to the war in Ukraine is not yet in sight. (two)
Source: Blick
I am Amelia James, a passionate journalist with a deep-rooted interest in current affairs. I have more than five years of experience in the media industry, working both as an author and editor for 24 Instant News. My main focus lies in international news, particularly regional conflicts and political issues around the world.
