The answers send a not-so-subtle message about the warming ties between China and Russia, which are drawing closer together due in part to Western sanctions on Moscow and an apparently close personal relationship between Mr. Putin and Mr. Xi.

“Putin is very good,” answers one interviewee in the video.

“Putin is a man as handsome as Xi Dada,” says another, using a nickname for President Xi, which translates roughly as Big Papa Xi.

“The two leaders are both very strong leaders,” replies a third.

“Very big muscles, ” comments one more.

Asked what she wanted to tell Mr. Putin, one elderly lady asks “Can I say it now? Should I say it or not?”. Then she suddenly cries: “Putin, you are a big handsome man!”