Olympics-Putin and Xi mix politics and sport, unveiling alliance at Olympics

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Reuters

BEIJING (Reuters) – Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping unveiled a global alliance with an anti-Western tilt on Friday, just hours before the grand opening of the Olympics in Beijing, in a striking juxtaposition of politics and sport. Xi later kicked off the opening ceremony, joined by International Olympic Committee Chairman Thomas Bach as he entered Beijing’s famed Bird Nest stadium, its rim decked with the flags of the 91 countries and regions taking part. The event was to feature 3,000 performers on a stage comprised of 11,600 square metres of high-definition …

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