Putin’s warm gesture brought a cold reaction from China authorities

The only problem was that Mr Putin came off looking gallant, while the Chinese summit host appeared gauche and inattentive.

Worse still were off-colour jokes that began to circulate about the real intentions of the divorced Russian president – a heartthrob among many Chinese women for his macho, man-of-action image.

That was too much for the Chinese authorities.

The incident at a performance linked to this week’s Asia-Pacific summit was broadcast on state TV and spread online as a forwarded video.

But it was soon scrubbed from the Chinese internet, reflecting the intense control authorities exert over any material about top leaders.

Beijing-based historian and independent commentator Zhang Lifan: “China is traditionally conservative on public interaction between unrelated men and women, and the public show of consideration by Putin may provide fodder for jokes, which the big boss probably does not like.”

Mr Xi’s wife, Peng Liyuan, was once a popular folk singer more famous than her husband.