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Russian President Vladimir Putin’s goodwill gift to his Chinese counterpart was decidedly appropriate for the digital age.
Yota Devices
At their meeting in Beijing at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Beijing on Monday, Putin reportedly gave Xi the dual-screen YotaPhone 2. After exchanging pleasantries, Xi asked Putin if they “have any cooperation on [the device].” Putin quickly responded, saying that “there will be,” according to The Wall Street Journal, which earlier reported on the news.
The YotaPhone 2 caught some headlines earlier this year for featuring two displays. The first is a regular touch screen found on any device. The other is an e-ink reader screen.
It’s not uncommon for world leaders to exchange gifts, though tech products have become increasingly common in exchanges over the last several years. In 2009, for instance, President Obama presented Queen Elizabeth II an iPod.
But perhaps the bigger story to the exchange was how resolute Putin was in confirming that his country will cooperate with China on the YotaPhone. Earlier this year, a Russian state-run defense contractor acquired a 25 percent stake in Yota Devices, which might be all Putin needed to determine the smartphone’s fate. And it appears it will be, in some way, a key player in the Chinese market in the coming months and years.
