Jiang Zemin keen to use Putin meeting in Shanghai to show he still has what it takes
Former president, 87, wished to make statement by seeking meeting with visiting Russian leader
This week's meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Jiang Zemin was held at the initiative of the former Chinese president, apparently to show his political staying power, sources said.
Leaders from 33 countries gathered in Shanghai to discuss regional security, but it was the informal meeting between Putin and Jiang that set press rooms buzzing.
The pair met at a five-star hotel in downtown Shanghai - just hours after Putin's meeting with President Xi Jinping . The idea was first suggested by Jiang but Xi only approved it "very recently", one source said.
A spokesman for the Russian delegation said "the private meeting between old friends" lasted half an hour.
State media generally played down the encounter but the news spread via social media.
The official media's downplaying of the meeting indicates the leadership tried to keep it low profile, in contrast with Jiang's appointment with former US secretary of state Henry Kissinger last July.